


The Annals of the House of Boltagon

by Elisha_Boltagon, steeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeb



Series: Blue [2]
Category: Inhumans (Comics)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-10-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 12:05:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 51,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11402088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elisha_Boltagon/pseuds/Elisha_Boltagon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/steeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeb/pseuds/steeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeb
Summary: Black Bolt, Medusa and Ahura are adjusting to living as a family once more, with new additions to factor in to the family dynamic, without the pressures of ruling a kingdom. But their adventures are not over. The re-appearance of Black's Bolt's estranged brother Maximus the Mad, as he raves about sightings of ghosts long passed, will not make life easy for them, and other complications soon arise... Sequel to Blue.





	1. Chapter 1

Medusa turned over in her sleep, waking slowly as a sharp pain contracted in her stomach. For a moment, she couldn't think where she was, then memory flooded back. This coincided with her waters breaking, and she grimaced, reaching to wake her husband. Another pain took her as Black Bolt stirred- this was happening faster than it had with Ahura, she thought, but then, her son had been born many years ago, perhaps her recollection had faded.

Black Bolt was awake by this point, and she saw she didn't need words to explain- he could see she was in labor, and panic was written all over his face. Of course- he had not been there for Ahura's birth, and so had little idea of how to cope now. And of course, he had no way of calling for help, as it was the middle of the night. Inhaling deeply, Medusa hauled herself from the (soaked) bed and, leaning on her husband, made her way to the phone to contact Crystal in New Attilan, to let her know that her future niece or nephew was on the way, and to ask for a healer or a midwife. No sooner had she done so than another contraction took her and she nearly doubled over, screaming.

Black Bolt's hand rested on her shoulder, his blue eyes locked anxiously on hers. She attempted a smile. "I don't think this little one is going to wait until the midwife is here, Blackagar."

His face paled, but Medusa could feel the infant's head now, and knew there was little time. She squeezed his hand reassuringly. "You'll have to help me deliver."

He swallowed visibly, but nodded, quickly helping her get situated on some old blankets, smoothing her hair back from her face, trying to look reassuring. The pains came more quickly, and Medusa's vision blurred. Minutes or hours could have passed, she lost track of time, caught in the pains of labor. Eventually, the agonising pressure eased and a baby's wail came to her ears.

Black Bolt, his hands stained, held the tiny form in his hands, staring in wonder. An exhausted laugh from Medusa roused him from his amazement, and he set about cleaning mother and child, before handing the baby to her, rapidly cleaning his hands before sitting beside her. _'A girl_ ,' he said silently, still looking stunned.

Medusa smiled down at her newborn daughter, stroking the fluffy red curls as a wave of drowsiness took her. She quickly settled the baby to nurse, snuggling to her husband's side once their daughter was feeding contentedly. The moment of peace was broken when another pain ripped through her, and she flinched hard. Black Bolt jumped, staring at her, as he steadied the baby.

"Blackagar--" Another pain took her, and Medusa focused on breathing steadily. What was going on? She felt as if she was giving birth again!

Her husband was staring at her, cradling their daughter, terror in his eyes as she continued to cry out with short, sudden pains, then, without warning, the pains ceased and Medusa could hear another baby crying.

Black Bolt shifted the baby girl to one arm, and slowly, as if in shock, lifted the other tiny form from the bed. Medusa was dizzy with exhaustion by now, but she did note that this child was slightly smaller than its twin, but had the same red hair, and was crying loudly. Black Bolt quickly handed the girl to Medusa while he checked the second child, then cleaned it up, before placing the baby alongside its older twin, laying on Medusa's shoulder.

' _A boy_.' Black Bolt looked utterly stunned, the way Medusa felt. Twins? Twins were all but unheard of in the royal family! Yet now, she had a daughter and a new son... She resumed feeding the girl, while letting the boy take his share, as Black Bolt cleaned up (again) then settled down beside them.

The warmth and the quiet soon lulled her to sleep, though she did manage to tell Blackagar to wake her when Crystal and the midwife arrived. She fell asleep to the sight of her husband still staring in awe at their newborn twins, holding one miniscule hand in each of his.

By the time morning came, the infants had been fed more than once, and Medusa was once again sleeping when the babies stirred. Black Bolt, who had scarcely taken his eyes from his youngest children the whole night, quietly lifted them into his arms, not wanting them to wail and wake Medusa so soon. He carried them both with ease, they were so small. The babies nestled in his arms, blinking big blue eyes once or twice, then lay there contentedly. Unable to keep from smiling, he kissed both tiny foreheads, then laughed silently as the little ones managed to clasp each others' hands. Standing, he made sure the babies were snugly wrapped in their blankets before leaving the room. Medusa needed sleep, and Ahura should be the first to meet his new brother and sister, before the healer and the rest of the family descended on them.

Walking to Ahura's room, he knocked with his elbow, as his hands were not free, hoping one of his son's astral ghosts would hear, allowing Ahura to respond. No luck. Black Bolt closed his eyes. ' _Ahura?_ ' he called into his son's mind.

' _Ugh... what?_ ' The groggy telepathic response suggested Ahura had only just woken, but now movement could be heard inside the bedroom. A few minutes later, the door was flung open and Ahura, hair still tousled from sleep, stood in the doorway, yawning. Slowly, his eyes registered the bundles in his father's arms, and Black Bolt moved to give Ahura a better view, sure that Ahura would be amazed to see twins where they'd expected one baby. Looking down at the red fluffy hair, bright blue eyes, rosy cheeks and button nose that the twins shared, he smiled down at his new little son and daughter once more. _'Your sister and brother decided to arrive in a hurry last night_.' He thought to Ahura, his tone jovial.

Ahura stared at the babies for a long minute, then his eyes fixed on his father, cradling the newborns so gently. Ahura looked up, seeing the tender smile on his father's face, and his eyes narrowed. He swallowed hard, eyes glittering, then without even attempting to sign anything, he turned and marched back into his room, all but slamming the door.

The babies began fussing and squirming due to the loud noise. Black Bolt glanced at Ahura's closed door, brow creased with worry, before looking back at the little ones, who were both now on the verge of wailing, it seemed. As their crying began in earnest, he walked back to his room, planning to give the babies to Medusa before going to speak -figuratively- with Ahura. But upon reaching his room, he saw Medusa still sleeping and was loathe to wake her. Torn between his concern for Ahura, and the needs of the infants, he swayed back and forth, rocking both babies gently while he considered what to do. The little ones quieted, and then footsteps sounded- Flagman must have let someone into his apartment. Frowning slightly- he had not been informed- he walked into the hallway, babies now quiescent in his arms- to see Crystal, Luna, Gorgon, Karnak and Triton, as well as the healer Vinatos. Of course, Vinatos would need to see to Medusa, and his family were eager to meet the new child. He beamed as they took in the fact that there were two newborns, and then Crystal immediately began gushing over the babies, taking the girl from Blackagar's arms, little Luna hanging over her shoulder to peer at her new cousin, thrilled to have another girlchild in the family. Gorgon quickly claimed the boy, smiling in a kindly way that few people ever saw. The rest of the family all joined in the admiration and congratulated Black Bolt on the twins' birth, as Vinatos smiled and made his way towards the bedroom where Medusa slept. Black Bolt followed him quickly- if nothing else, he needed to be there as custom demanded- a male healer could not tend a woman alone, particularly not if she was sleeping.

And for a few minutes, Ahura's behavior slipped from Black Bolt's mind.

 


	2. Chapter 2

While Vinatos examined Medusa with Black Bolt, the remaining family cooed over the twins by placing them together on the couch and gathering around it. They continued to do so until Black Bolt and Vinatos emerged so Vinatos could examine the babies. Medusa followed, albeit somewhat disheveled from sleep.

Vinatos held the girl for a moment to check her weight, then the boy. "Ah, I can see why my scans could not detect the boy: he's more than a pound smaller than his sister. Not uncommon in twin births, especially fraternal twins such as these. Have you blessed them with names yet?"

Black Bolt nodded, pointing at the girl and allowing Medusa to speak for him. "The girl is Anora, the boy is Daryn."

Gorgon nodded his approval, as the children of a strong family deserved strong names. "And what are Ahura's thoughts?"

The King and Queen looked to one another, having forgotten their son's behavior an hour ago. Medusa was asleep at the time but Black Bolt filled her in during the examination. "He is...well, it is difficult to say. He's not left his room yet this morning."

Black Bolt thought about their exchange at Ahura's door, tried to remember what happened and what he could do to resolve it. Did he wake Ahura too early? Or was it that Black Bolt did not awaken him during the twins' birth? He sent his thoughts to Medusa for her to speak them. "He appears unhappy, but I am unsure why."

The family was quiet a moment, trying to understand why Ahura would be upset at the additions to the royal family. Black Bolt attempted to telepathically reach his son so he knew the remainder of the family was present. His thoughts were ignored. 

Gorgon had none of it. He marched to the front of Ahura's door and didn't bother to knock, bursting through the door and snatching Ahura by his upper arm as the young man lounged on his bed with a notebook on which he scribbled. A ghost that Ahura created stood in the corner amidst a growing pile of crumpled paper Ahura tossed at it as he did his homework. "Boy," Gorgon barked at Ahura. "You will join us, none of this moping."

If Ahura wanted to protest, he felt too shocked to do so. He did not expect anyone to enter his room, though his ghost could hear multiple voices from the main foyer so Ahura knew others arrived. Gorgon deposited him at the back of the couch so he could see everyone as well as the ghost interpreting for him. 

Medusa could see how each of her children resembled the other now that Ahura stood behind them. They had their father's eyes and square chin, his tall forehead, thin lips; if they had black hair instead of the copper red of Medusa they would be tiny clones of their father. Daryn looked more like Ahura when Ahura was born, though the infant was significantly smaller than Ahura at the time. 

The babies cooed and squeaked as they woke, stretching uncoordinated limbs and yawning. Vinatos scanned them both, making notes on a datapad so he could track their development over the coming months. Daryn was smaller than Anora in every category which was not surprising but still required careful follow-up as they aged. Being unable to detect the baby during scans before his birth meant that Medusa did not know she ate inadequate nutritional requirements for both babies. It was also not uncommon for a twin to rob resources from the other in the womb.

Otherwise, they were healthy babies and appeared happy as they wriggled next to each other. Their short time together in the womb was spent practically crammed on top of each other, and Medusa noted they appeared most content when they were snuggled together. They also wore the loose swaddling clothes most Inhuman babies spent the first year of their lives in; human baby clothes were impractical at their restrictiveness and Medusa did not understand why humans placed their babies in such frustrating clothing. 

Ahura looked at his brother and sister with less resentment now that Black Bolt was not holding them. He dusted his knuckles across Anora's fluffy red hair, marveling at its softness. "Noh-uh. Day-een."

His attempt to pronounce their names legitimately surprised his family. Medusa hardly made him speak growing up while Black Bolt abandoned his attempts within the past few years, so they did not expect him to say anything. She nodded to him then stood behind him with her arms around his chest, her head on his shoulder. Ahura was so grown already, she wanted him to slow down. 

Luna requested that she hold one of the twins, so Crystal sat her on the couch with a pillow tucked under her arm that would do most of the work. She placed Anora in the crux of the pillow as the baby girl fought to stay awake. Daryn stretched and squinted, wondering where his twin went. Medusa passed him to Ahura so he could properly meet his little brother.

The babies' large blue eyes would need time to develop, though they would do so much faster than human babies. Where human babies could only see a few inches for weeks following birth, Inhuman babies rarely lacked depth beyond a week. For now, the twins could only see a few inches ahead, but that would clear soon enough. Vinatos encouraged Ahura to hold Daryn closer to his face so Daryn could see him easily. Daryn did not appear pleased either way as whoever held him did not smell like mom very much. He squirmed and whimpered, prompting Ahura to rock him. 

Luna played with Anora's tiny fingers and toes that the baby girl stretched whenever Luna stroked the bottom of her foot. Medusa looked at both her babies and wondered how in Randac's name both managed to fit inside her womb, especially without her knowledge of the other. 

Flagman sent Black Bolt a message that the family's lunch was ready in the conference area. The Boltagons stayed behind for a few minutes so Medusa could wash her face and wake up a bit more, then feed the babies again. When she nursed Ahura he was not a picky baby and happily latched to whichever breast Medusa placed him. Her new babies appeared to have a preference that changed with each feeding, and feeding them both at once felt awkward. When she set a sleeping Anora on the couch next to her so Medusa could feed her brother, Ahura picked up Anora and looked at her pensively.

Medusa stroked Ahura's wild bedhead and tapped his shoulder. " _What are you thinking, my love?_ " With Daryn invading her signing space, Medusa felt constricted when she signed.

Ahura looked to both babies for a moment. _"They hear?"_

Medusa had to stop her initial response, recalling it before it left her mouth. Initially, she would have laughed at such a question, of course they could hear. But looking into her oldest's eyes, she noticed he hoped for something different. 

_"Ahura, are you hoping that at least one of them does not?"_ He shrugged, a guilty expression scribbled on his face. _"Tell me what leads to such thoughts."_

She waited patiently for his answer, continuing to run her fingers through his shaggy hair to straighten the mess from sleeping. 

_"I just...maybe I hoped one same as me."_

Medusa gave her son a few moments to digest his disappointment that both could hear. It was a complicated disappointment, one that included a veritable grab-bag of mixed emotions. Ahura was happy his siblings were healthy but sad that he remained the only deaf person in the family. In most of Attilan, actually, apart from the elders. He was proud of his siblings and jealous simultaneously at the way Black Bolt handled the twins, regarding them with all the love in the world. The same love Ahura could not remember ever receiving from his father growing up.

Black Bolt used the feeding time to clean himself fully so they could go to lunch together and be with the rest of the family. The babies would be kept from the general public for a few weeks until their immune systems were strong enough, two weeks at most barring any kind of sickness. 

They experienced the first of many frustrations with twins as they simply tried to get down the steps for lunch. Everything suddenly needed to be in twos, but since they only expected one baby they only had one of each item they needed. Black Bolt looked at the wicker basket that was meant to hold only one baby and turned it about, trying to visually measure if he could fit both babies in the basket somehow. Medusa saw his frustration and giggled at him.

Black Bolt grinned back at her, his thoughts sarcastic. _I was a king once. Now I'm being defeated by a wicker basket._

They decided that someone would want to hold at least one of the babies eventually, so no reason to fuss over the basket. As they made their way downstairs, Ahura was tasked with bringing the basket and various items Medusa tossed into it which Ahura doubted they would actually need. Black Bolt and Medusa inched their way down the steps with one baby each, Black Bolt's large hands holding Daryn against his chest above his heart. The basket ordeal was all but forgotten when Medusa remembered that she often cradled Ahura against her chest with her hair when he was a baby and now did so with Anora. 

The rest of the family, plus Vinatos who they invited to join to thank him, spent more time talking than actually eating. They had not eaten together as a whole in a few months so there was much to catch up on. Flagman surprised Black Bolt by requesting to hold Anora while they ate; Black Bolt certainly never thought of Flagman as paternal in any sort of way but when Flagman held Black Bolt's daughter he was amused at how skillfully Flagman did so. 

Anytime Black Bolt attempted to talk with his son, Ahura shot him down. He wanted to connect with Ahura but was unable to do so if Ahura kept up his mental walls. After multiple attempts, Black Bolt decided to put his attempts on hold for now and wait until they were back in the apartment to discuss the issue. 

Besides, Ahura had Luna to chat with for now. Since they spent quite some time apart Luna forgot many of the signs she used with Ahura but was able to at least engage him in conversation. The ghosts that could "hear" for Ahura only filtered speech and noise into his brain, they did not make sense of what they heard for him. Sometimes the noise was too much or, like now, the multiple conversations overwhelmed him. 

The adults discussed politics (Luna's least favorite subject in the universe), while the two teens talked amongst themselves. It felt much like home in Attilan, now New Attilan, save for the decor. Black Bolt kept the conference areas visually tame compared to the bar area. In Attilan, much of the marble was carved and the color scheme warm and if there was one thing he did not like about his conference area, it was the artificial lighting. The glare irritated him, so a week after the Quiet Room opened he replaced the flip switches with dimmers. 

The babies slept through lunch, Daryn in the small basket placed on a chair between Black Bolt and Medusa, and Anora rocked by Medusa's hair. Vinatos warned that too much handling would confuse them with the multitude of different scents, making nursing difficult for each baby. Every time Daryn squirmed or squeaked Black Bolt stopped whatever he was doing to watch, enjoying watching his son learn the world around him. When he held Ahura the first time, Ahura was already a few weeks old so he had more command over his movements. Daryn, however, managed to bring his hand in front of his face and apparently found it fascinating as he flexed and extended his fingers. Black Bolt's distraction became so intrusive Medusa placed Daryn next to his sister and rocked them both with her hair, just so her husband would finish eating.

After lunch, the extended family returned to New Attilan with Vinatos while the remainder retreated upstairs to the apartment once again. Medusa felt tired once again and retreated to their room for a nap until the babies fed again, leaving Black Bolt and Ahura together with the infants. They sat at opposite ends of the couch, Ahura barely acknowledging his father's presence. His cold stare showed less anger; instead, he appeared to begrudgingly accept the change in his life. Black Bolt waited for Ahura to say something, then eventually began the conversation himself. 

_"This morning you were angry, why?"_

His formal signing improved over the past few months since Medusa and Ahura moved in, though sometimes his informal signs and gestures clashed with Ahura's formal ones, sometimes in humorous ways. Ahura did not have any trace of humor in his face at the moment. His deep-sea blue eyes showed every emotion except humor. 

_"The way you love them, it makes me angry."_

Ahura's words did not make sense to Black Bolt. He understood the signs and what Ahura said, but not their intended _meaning_. Black Bolt encouraged his son to continue.

_"You never loved me the same."_

The hurt Ahura felt went beyond simple jealousy many siblings felt--Black Bolt felt the same whenever he saw his parents with Maximus growing up so he understood somewhat. For someone who craved parental touch and received none, seeing Agon and Rynda holding Maximus hurt Black Bolt down to his very bones. At the moment Ahura felt more than angry, he also mourned something he would never have. Angry encompassed too much to compress into a single word. 

Medusa assured Ahura throughout her pregnancy that Ahura would never be 'replaced' or any less important in her eyes. Ahura understood that newborns required a lot of attention, and Ahura was largely independent so the fact that the babies would receive more focus did not bother him. It was seeing his father's behavior towards the twins that upset him, the way he held them or watched their movements with amazement. Black Bolt tapped the seat of the couch so Ahura would look at him again, signing what he could and speaking telepathically so he was clear in his meaning.

_"Ahura, there's no way for me to erase the mistakes I made when you were a child. I made many of the same mistakes my father made when I was growing up because that was all I knew to do. The sins of my father were yours to bear, and I think back to all the times I gave you up and hate myself for them._

_But never doubt that I love you, my son. I never stopped loving you or your mother. I can't give you the memories that I know your brother and sister will have because I am not the same person I was when you were growing. The only thing I can do is try and be better_ now, _to make up for mistakes I made by not committing them a second time."_

Ahura wanted to respond but he did not know what to say, merely nodding. His father's behaviors were not Ahura's fault, but Ahura still paid for them. Black Bolt knew he wrecked his son psychologically, just as Agon did to him.

_"We both can only be better starting from the present. Attilan was built and became strong on the mistakes of our forefathers, and I ignored that while you were young. I don't expect you to forgive me for the past, Ahura, but please don't let that already condemn our future."_

Anora stretched and squeaked between them, almost waking her smaller brother as she did so. Daryn's virtually non-existent eyebrows shot up as if he wanted to wake but decided against it. Because the twins were resting peacefully, Black Bolt indicated that he was going to check on Medusa for a moment and ensure she was comfortable, leaving Ahura alone with his brother and sister.

Ahura scoot closer to his siblings and fixed the blanket Anora managed to dishevel. She blinked her dark blue eyes at the figure she could barely see, eyes that would most likely lighten to a hue similar to her father's. Ahura leaned closer so she could see him. "Noh-uh."

The baby's eyes squinted back at him as if he just intruded on a private conversation between herself and Daryn, but Ahura could also feel what she felt. Confusion at the world around her, yes, but also happiness when Ahura spoke her name. She liked the sound, even though it was not entirely clear and sounded more like a series of grunts.

Daryn woke to the noise, squinting the same way Anora did as Ahura spoke to her. "Day-een." The baby squirmed and squeaked, though Ahura could not tell. Ahura then loosely unwrapped the upper half of the blankets so he could play with the twins hands, carefully forming them into clunky 'signs' as if he were imitating their baby voices. _My name is Anora and my favorite in the whole world is Ahura. And my name is Daryn and Ahura is also my favorite._ Ahura continued playing with their hands and giggling to himself as he made them sign goofy nonsense phrases.

Unbeknownst to him, Black Bolt had exited his bedroom but stood behind where Ahura could not see him, watching Ahura play with his siblings. His oldest son may be the only deaf one in the family, but by Randac his other children would learn Ahura's language. Black Bolt spent far too much of Ahura's life depriving his oldest of language, and there would be no more of that. He could hear his youngest children squeak at their older brother in amusement, tiny mouse-like noises that were almost imperceptible even to Black Bolt. He certainly never expected to have three unplanned children that were not approved by the Genetic Council, but Black Bolt loved them fiercely. He gave Ahura a few moments before telepathically announcing his presence as if he just walked out of the bedroom. _They must eat._

Ahura nodded and kissed one of each baby's hands, allowing Black Bolt to pick up Daryn on his own before Ahura passed him Anora. They both parted ways, each going to their respective rooms before Black Bolt took a step back and waited for Ahura to turn around as he went to close the door. 

_Good night. I love you, son._

At least Ahura smiled before he gently closed the door.


	3. Chapter 3

 

Ahura scowled as he walked into the kitchen at midday, yanking open the fridge to find... nothing. He glanced around in dismay. The kitchen surfaces were covered in unwashed plates, cutlery and glasses (many of them infant-sized) and there was no sign of any lunch being prepared. He turned and stalked towards the living area- only to see his father, cradling a red-faced screaming Daryn. Black Bolt's usually immaculate black hair was mussed and sticking up in every direction and lines of tiredeness showed on his face as he paced back and forth, rocking Daryn, trying to quiet him. Ahura could tell it did no good though- Daryn's little mouth was still open and he was clearly screaming. Giving up on signing to get his father's attention, Ahura decided to go into his parents' room, to remind his mother that it was lunch time- he had grown to enjoy eating with his parents, over the past few months.

To his growing annoyance, Medusa was engrossed in nursing Anora. Ahura fought the urge to kick something in frustration. In the two weeks since the twins had been born, their routine and needs seemed to have taken over everything. Black Bolt had spent a lot more time here, and less down in the Quiet Room, but even with his help, Mother was always tired, and if Anora didn't need feeding, then, minutes later, Daryn would! Medusa had almost no time free, and when she did, Black Bolt kept encouraging her to rest. Which was ridiculous, because he could not really cope with both twins on his own. At two weeks old, they had grown to the size of two-month-old human infants, able to see clearly, lift their heads and move their limbs with some accuracy, thus grabbing things they shouldn't and inevitably bringing said items to their toothless mouths. Ahura helped to care for them- it seemed almost to be expected of him- but he'd begun to resent it.

The constant stream of visitors from New Attilan, wanting to meet the new babies, had been aggravating as well. Ahura had taken to using his ghosts to hear, but a large number of people talking, coupled with the twins' crying, meant he was bombarded with sound, which frequently gave him a headache. He'd been glad, that morning, when no-one had come to visit. They'd managed to have a quiet breakfast while both twins napped (a rare occurrence) but then chaos took over again. Anora had been fed, then, when it was Daryn's turn, she'd chucked half her feed back up, so Medusa had to feed both at once, and then Flagman had come to speak to his father- something about a supposed Kree vessel, an old one, being seen entering Earth's atmosphere, moving close to New York. Black Bolt had directed him to New Attilan, telling him to take this problem to Iso and Crystal. And then Lockjaw had teleported in without warning, taking up far too much space in the small kitchen and overturning the breakfast table. Which had startled them all and promptly set both Anora and Daryn screaming.

Ahura had retreated into his room, hoping things would be calmer later. He'd only emerged now because he was hungry, and now there was _no food_? Seething, he stalked from the apartment, barging straight past his father, rapidly signing 'Thanks for lunch' as he went. He had no idea if Black Bolt had noticed, and right now he didn't care. Marching through the Quiet Room, he helped himself to a sandwich from a display of them, not caring what was in it, and ate quickly as he headed outside.

He moved rapidly, not wanting to be seen and stopped- he rarely went outside without Rila, his interpreter, as it wasn't thought safe for him to wander alone, but right now he didn't want her company.

"Uh!" The rough sound was forced from Ahura's lungs as he collided with someone in the front doorway. Rubbing his stomach, he looked up, and recognized Irelle, one of Auran's twin daughters. He'd seen her fairly often when he'd lived in New Attilan- she had served as an attendant to Medusa when she had still been queen, and she'd been one of the very few royal attendants who were his own age- but he hadn't seen Irelle since leaving New Attilan for New York.

He smiled apologetically at her, automatically signing 'sorry' before it occurred to him she probably wouldn't understand.

Irelle however, nodded. "I think you said sorry, so... it's alright, it was my fault... your highness." Her face was tinged pink with embarrassment.

Ahura shook his head, waving a hand dismissively. He didn't want her using his title- it didn't apply anymore. And he'd never really liked being called 'your highness' anyway. Slowly and deliberately, he mouthed his name. ' _Ahura.'_

Irelle looked thoughtful as she tried to work out what he meant. "You... just want me to use your name?" Her voice was unsure, her face reddening further.

Ahura nodded, smiling. (When had Irelle become so _pretty?_ ) He conjured a ghost so he could hear her words, making this conversation easier, even if he couldn't reply.

"A-alright." She shifted uncomfortably, but didn't argue. "So.. how are your new brother and sister?"

Ahura rolled his eyes. He moved his arms as if cradling a baby, then balled his fists and rubbed his eyes, screwing his face up as if crying, then feigned tearing his hair out.

Irelle giggled. "All they do is cry? Are they really that bad?"

He nodded vehemently, then bit his lip. He still wanted to get out of here, but he would get in trouble if he went alone... should he ask her along for the walk? Pointing at himself, then at the sidewalk visible through the open front door, he then offered Irelle his arm, raising a brow in question. Noting the warm jacket she wore, he surmised it was cold out, and quickly donned a jacket of his own- he might not need it, Inhumans were made of stronger stuff than humans, but he might as well dress to blend in.

Thankfully, Irelle understood what his gestures meant, after a few seconds of thought. "Of course, I'd be happy to come with you, your- Ahura." She flushed pink at the casual use of his name, but took his arm. "Where are we going?" She queried as they made their way along the sidewalk.

Ahura glanced around, then shrugged. Irelle smiled. "There's a beautiful place in the humans' Central Park I like to go to, when I need somewhere peaceful. A section of caves in a place called the Ramble. Humans don't actually go there, it's off limits to them because they think it unsafe, but I know my way around. Would you like to see?"

It took a few seconds for the words to filter through Ahura's ghost to his mind, and then for them to make sense, but he nodded, gesturing for her to lead on.

They began chatting casually as they walked, about their respective family and siblings (Irelle's twin sister Treste, and their legal guardian, the Nuhuman Frank, aka Nur, in her case) and the differences in New Attilan now that Iso ruled. Irelle also seemed intrigued by what it was like living in the Quiet Room, as she had lived in the old city of Attilan before coming here to New Attilan and had never known life in the human world.

Soon, they arrived at Central Park, and were making their way to the Ramble, when Ahura felt his father's now-familiar mind brush against his. He sighed.

 _Father_.

 _Ahura._ Black Bolt sounded exhausted. _Where are you? I've had half the bar turned upside down looking for you!_

Guilt twisted Ahura's insides. _I'm sorry, Father. I just needed some fresh air. I am taking a walk in Central Park._ No need to mention Irelle, or the off-limits caves they were heading for...

_Why didn't you at least take Rila with you?_

_Sorry._

He 'heard' his father's sigh. _When you're ready to return, let me know. I'll come and meet you._

Ahura's eyebrows shot up. _You're leaving Mother alone with the twins?_ That would be a first...

_Yes. It's about time you and I had some time to ourselves, don't you think? Besides, your mother thinks I am hovering too much._

Ahura snorted with laughter, making Irelle turn to him with a surprised look. He shook his head, smiling, to show he wasn't laughing at her. _I wondered when she'd finally have had enough and tell you that,_  he replied cheekily.

 _Brat_. His father tossed back, clearly enjoying the lighthearted teasing as much as Ahura was. _Enjoy your walk, I will see you later._

Ahura was still grinning slightly as he explained to Irelle he'd just let his father know he was exploring Central Park. By this time, they had reached the caves, and Irelle was about to lead Ahura inside when she froze. Ahura stared at her, wondering what was wrong. His astral ghost, never far from him, caught the sound a few seconds later. Footsteps. On instinct, he pushed Irelle behind him, as heavy, frantic breathing sounded.

Seconds later, a tall, lanky figure with wild eyes and unruly black hair raced towards them, white-faced and glancing behind him continually in fear.

Ahura groaned inwardly as he recognized the man. He stepped forward and shook his shoulder, hoping to restore some clarity, ignoring Irelle's gasp- clearly, she hadn't recognized him.

 _Maximus,_  Ahura sent in a calm voice, hoping the mad Inhuman was lucid enough to reply.

Dark eyes, wide with shock, met Ahura's. "Nephew." Maximus started breathing more slowly. He looked behind him, at the mass of unmapped caves, with a shudder, before looking back at Ahura, gripping the boy's arm. "Good, you're real. So this is real, not all made up." He looked back into the caves again. "I heard about a Kree ship, you see, and tracked its landing to near here, so I came to get parts, if I could find it. And I went looking, and I found the ship, but that's not all I found, oh no. I found a ghost. In those caves. He came from the ship. So I can't have the parts, can't go back in there. Ghosts aren't real, but I saw him. I can't face this. I can't. It wasn't my fault, I didn't kill him. It can't be real. The dead don't come back. So no-one goes in there, and then I won't have to see the ghost." Maximus nodded frantically, as if assuring himself.

Ahura grimaced, before glancing at Irelle, who was ashen faced, watching Maximus ranting and raving. _So much for a peaceful walk_. Thinking fast, he used his ghost, sending it into Maximus' mind, letting it take over, willing his uncle to sleep. Slowly, the madman's eyes drifted closed.

Ahura then turned to Irelle, repeating the earlier sign for 'sorry' then frowned, trying to think of how to explain.

Thankfully, she was quick on the uptake. "I know you'll need to make sure he gets sorted out now.... we can come back and see the caves another time, if you want?"

He tried to lip read, and nodded once her words had registered- he _had_ been looking forward to spending more time with Irelle, but Uncle Maximus was in a manic state (again) and he couldn't just be left alone. He struggled to think of how he could communicate, then remembered his ghost still held Maximus- could he speak through his uncle, by way of the ghost's control? Only one way to find out...

Maximus' eyes opened as Ahura's half-closed, both glowing bright blue.

"I have to tell my father about Maximus, and get him home." The words coming from Maximus' mouth were slow and stilted, but it was working. "We can meet up later, if you wanted..."

Irelle shook her head. "My sister and I have plans later." She looked vaguely annoyed, and Ahura was trying to hide disappointment. "Perhaps... we can try this again tomorrow?"

Ahura beamed. Under his control, the ghost keeping Maximus asleep made his unconscious form follow suit.

"Will you be alright getting home?" Ahura reflected how strange it was to hear Maximus speaking his words, ghost or no ghost.

Irelle nodded. "Yes. I'll have Frank -Nur- collect me, don't worry." She smiled at Ahura, then cast a worried glance at Maximus, who Ahura had now released into true sleep, before walking away.

Ahura stared after her regretfully for a few minutes, before closing his eyes and calling his father, explaining to Black Bolt what had happened.

In less than ten minutes, Black Bolt was there, alongside Lockjaw- he had to have called the teleporting dog immediately after hearing about Maximus. He lifted his insensate brother with ease, while his eyes examined Ahura worriedly. _You're not hurt?_

Ahura shook his head. _No, Maximus didn't do anything, just kept going on about a ghost_. He glanced back at the dark maw-like entrance to the caves as he placed a hand on Lockjaw's shoulder. What hallucination had Maximus seen in there, to put him in that state? He hadn't been that bad for years...

The blinding flash of Lockjaw's teleport broke into Ahura's thoughts, and then they were gone.

 

_**To be continued...** _

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Black Bolt paced along the hallway in front of Maximus' room. It was an out-of-the-way empty room with a cot that Flagman lovingly referred to as "The Drunk Tank" where they placed all of the overly intoxicated guests at the bar so they could sleep off whatever they drank. Legally, Black Bolt could not actually force anyone to stay in the room until they sobered, but ethically he wanted to ensure everyone was able to go home safely (or others were not hurt). Most people happily crashed on the lone cot for a few hours so Black Bolt was yet to have any difficulties. That is until Ahura called him to the middle of Central Park to pick up Maximus, who now resided in the Tank for the time being. 

Ahura could only tell Black Bolt so much about what Maximus said, something about ghosts and a ship? Maybe he saw one of Ahura's ghosts. He would not know until Maximus woke, though for the past half hour Maximus muttered in his sleep or shifted positions. During Maximus' past few attempts at uprooting Black Bolt's life he at least appeared coherent, but according to Ahura he seemed completely out of touch with reality. How many years ago was the last time Maximus had one of these episodes? Five, ten years? The first time Maximus had a similar episode, they were teenagers and Black Bolt was still in his anechoic chamber. Maximus visited to gloat about his freedom, but that time he just...talked. Continuously, for about an hour with hardly a pause or long enough to take a deep breath. That and he never stayed on-topic for more than a few sentences. When Black Bolt asked about it the next week Maximus claimed not to remember what happened or outright denied it. 

Because using a ghost to control someone so powerful wore Ahura out, he went up to the apartment and immediately dropped onto his bed to sleep. Due to the immediacy, Medusa worried Ahura felt ill but he insisted that he was just tired, so Medusa left him alone and returned to the babies napping in a rocker. For the past week or so after the babies woke from their naps, Daryn woke extremely upset and worked himself up until he screamed for about an hour. Neither Black Bolt nor Medusa could set him back down for some time, making any other activity difficult. If they held him up on their shoulders he calmed down but as soon as they laid him on his back he screamed again. He also remained small compared to Anora who grew as if she were working toward some kind of record. The only thing Daryn managed to outdo his sister in was the amount of copper orange hair on his head. 

When Maximus showed signs of waking fully, Black Bolt brought in a chair to sit with him. Even if Maximus woke only to insult him, Black Bolt could remember the times he wished someone were there in the mornings so he would not feel as lonely. He and Maximus spent most of their lives at each other's throats for one reason or another, but Black Bolt still cared for him

Maximus blinked and rubbed his eyes for a moment to wake himself. "Where am I? No, don't answer that. Just, don't answer anything." He massaged his forehead as he hauled himself upward in a sitting position, throwing his legs over the side of the cot. "I really wish you would warn me before you do that, Blackagar. Save me the headache next time. Where is the boy?"

Black Bolt gestured that Ahura was also asleep.

"Ah, yes. Growing and whatnot. They do that often enough. Grow too fast, from what I've heard, you've said so yourself. Well, not really _said_ so, but you understand. How long have I been here?"

_Three._

"Days?! Oh, hours. Too many hours, not enough in the day." Maximus briefly glanced at Black Bolt but did not hold his gaze for long. It only told Black Bolt that Maximus was in some type of manic episode, maybe coming out of one at least. "Well brother, at least feed me if you are going to keep me prisoner again. Not the first time, oh no. Too many to count. But that doesn't compare to how long they kept you prisoner, does it? Years. So many years to do as you wished while Mother and Father micromanaged my life, and now he wants to return and do the same to us as adults. Can you believe him, Blackagar?"

Black Bolt furrowed his eyes, unsure of whom Maximus spoke. He almost gestured for Maximus to clarify but the door to the Tank opened and Medusa stepped in, her hair cradling both babies snuggled together against her chest. Anora opened her eyes and blinked in the dim light but just as quickly closed them again to continue snoozing.

Maximus stood to greet her and bowed, stopping midway when he noticed the babies. "Blackagar, what are those? They don't belong to you. Give them back to whomever they belong." Black Bolt placed his broad hand on each baby's back, then onto his own chest. _Mine._ "No, you only have Ahura, you aren't permitted three. Only two. Father decreed it."

As they spoke, Medusa gently tightened her hair around each baby in case Maximus moved toward them for whatever reason. "Black Bolt speaks true, they are his children. Our children. They were born minutes apart after we assumed only one child rested in my womb, not two. The decree is not valid in this case."

Maximus shook his head and tried to see the babies' faces. From what he could tell, they definitely had their father's facial features and their mother's red hair. 

"Father will not be pleased."

_Dead._

"Ah, but you see, Blackagar, he is not. He is very much alive. Old and probably deserves to be dead, yes. But he is alive. I have seen ghosts, Blackagar. Living ghosts."

Maximus sat down again, crossing his arms as if trying to solve some type of equation. His mind would simply not allow him to put this information together: the ghost of Agon, Back Bolt having more than the allotted number of children and defying almost every rule of the Genetic Council's in one fell swoop. He continued to mutter to himself, the volume of his voice increasing as he grew excited. 

As they waited for Maximus to wind himself back down again, Flagman knocked on the door and held a tray of finger foods for Maximus to sample. It would satisfy him until Black Bolt let him loose once more. 

Anora woke once again, shifting her head to see more of the room. Medusa was unsure if the twins understood that when they saw each other, they were seeing another living being and not a toy of some kind. Although their dexterity improved, some of their movements were still opportunistic and if one twin raised a hand close to the other's face, the other managed to chew on his or her fingers. Ahura tried laying them both on their sides facing each other to see what would happen, but it did not appear the twins fully acknowledged each other yet. They were certainly sympathetic to one another; if Anora saw Daryn crying she was right there with him.

As Maximus ate, Black Bolt looked to Medusa and spoke to her internally. _He doesn't appear dangerous. Sleep-deprived, but not dangerous. Should I let him go?_ Ever since his power as king was reduced to little more than a title, Black Bolt's ability to take decisive action weakened to the point that he questioned many of his own decisions. 

Medusa nodded at him, which angered Maximus. He launched himself from the cot, nearly spilling the tray of food, to point in Black Bolt's face. Medusa turned her back to him to protect the babies and put distance between Maximus and her children.

"Stop it! Stop talking about me, I know that's what you're doing. I've always hated when you two have your secret little conversations about everyone else as if you are school children." 

Black Bolt gestured for Maximus to relax and keep eating, nodding toward Medusa to leave the room to make Maximus happy. He could still call for Medusa telepathically if anything were to go wrong anyway. As she left, he could hear Anora squeak at her sleeping brother.

"You don't deserve her, Black Bolt. You never have. She should belong to me, not you; I could have taken care of her and become king if Mother and Father did not decree it otherwise." Black Bolt somewhat agreed with him: he didn't deserve Medusa, she was too good for him. But he loved her with every atom of his being.

When Maximus finished eating he lay down again to look at the ceiling: he always did his best thinking while looking upward, free from distraction. Black Bolt waited to see what Maximus would do before making the decision to release him whenever Maximus wished, since he did not appear to be a threat at the moment. Spacey and tangential, but not dangerous.

As they prepared to leave, Maximus wandered over to Medusa in the hallway. "Well, at least allow me to see my illegal nephews."

Medusa raised the babies so Maximus could view them. "Only one is a boy, the other is a girl." Maximus looked to her as if she just insulted Randac. Twins were rare in Attilan, especially fraternal twins (compared to humans who had fraternal twins more often than identical). "Anora is the girl on the right, Daryn is the boy on the left."

Maximus looked into Anora's large, blue, and curious eyes that stared back at him. She was most talkative while on her back rather than upright since there was so much to look at when someone carried her. Anora regarded Maximus as if she could see through him. 

Once Maximus left with assurances that he would go back to the caves in Central Park and not cause trouble, Black Bolt dropped into his chair in his office with exasperation. Between Daryn screaming in his face much of the day, running the Quiet Room, keeping track of Ahura's teenage mood swings, and now whatever Maximus was plotting, he was exhausted. He needed to meditate and de-stress, but he was finding it difficult to make time to do so.

Medusa could sense his frustration with the multiple issues that suddenly arose. She handed Anora to him since she was awake and in a happy mood. "What do you think Maximus was going on about?"

Black Bolt shrugged and waved at the office door as if dismissing Maximus. He currently had no mental reserves to deal with Maximus at the moment. Neither Black Bolt nor Medusa ate since the morning, so he texted Flagman and asked him to bring up a snack of some kind to tide them over until dinner. Black Bolt still had a few weeks of his self-imposed 'paternity leave' but he was almost aching to go back to work. As much as he loved his children, would die for them without a moment's hesitation, Daryn wore him out. Nothing Black Bolt did made the baby happy. As if she could also sense her father's aggravation, Anora looked into her father's face and cooed, imitating the elements of conversation she heard spoken around her all day. He nodded as if he were agreeing with her statement, encouraging Anora to continue jabbering. Their conversation lasted more than an hour.

\---

Ahura woke with an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, like he ate something far too spicy that did not agree with him. He could sense that something was out of place outside his room, and he cracked the door open to peer outside. In the living room stood his father pacing back and forth in a familiar pattern trying to quiet Daryn. The frazzled look on Black Bolt's face told Ahura that whatever he tried was yet to work.

He waited for the feeling in his stomach to pass, but after five minutes or so it still felt sour. Ahura paused to try and mentally will away the odd feeling, giving him time to realize that the pain he felt was not his own. The pain came from Daryn. 

Ahura stepped into the living room and waved to get Black Bolt's attention. _He hurts._

Black Bolt nodded at Ahura. _Yes, he does. I'm sure Flagman can hear him downstairs._

The young man shook his head. _No, I mean he feels pain. Right there._ Ahura pointed to a spot on Daryn's stomach equivalent to the area in which Ahura felt unwell. Maybe it was the frequency at which Daryn cried that made Ahura stop 'listening' to how the babies felt, but he was listening now. Daryn was a miserable boy.

Black Bolt stopped pacing and handed Daryn to his older son, mentally calling for Lockjaw to their location. Ahura could handle Daryn screaming at his face but he still felt bad that his baby brother was in so much pain. As soon as Lockjaw arrived, he and Black Bolt were gone three seconds later leaving Ahura and Daryn alone in the living room. 

He hoisted Daryn up to his shoulder and bounced him gently, shushing into his ear to distract him. Medusa chose that moment to exit their bedroom, a purple robe wrapped around her nightclothes. Despite her smile at her son, her eyes betrayed her worry and tiredness. She kissed Ahura's temple first, then the baby's, and sat on the couch to wait for her husband. 

Black Bolt phased in with Lockjaw and Vinatos two minutes later, Vinatos yawning into the back of his hand. He bowed at Medusa. "My Lady, I was told one of your children is unwell." Black Bolt pointed at Daryn and motioned for Ahura to turn the baby around.

 _"Hurt,"_ Ahura attempted to grunt verbally, indicating the spot on Daryn's belly that ached. Vinatos outstretched his long fingers to take the child and examine him.

"Goodness, Little One, so distraught," Vinatos soothed, holding Daryn with one arm and waving a scanner over him with his other hand. He gently poked at Daryn's tummy to ensure he did not have a rupture or an ulcer before handing him to Medusa. "The prince has an excessive amount of stomach acid in his esophagus. The humans refer to it as 'acid reflux.'" 

Ahura willed a ghost into existence and asked Vinatos to repeat himself. Vinatos did so, then continued. "At the point in which the esophagus meets the stomach, there is a muscle that helps seal off the stomach and prevent anything he eats from going back into the esophagus. Daryn has simply not gained the muscle to do so yet. It is a common ailment, though I'm not sure how assuring that is to your sanity." He smiled at his mild joke but stopped after seeing the disheveled look on Black Bolt and Medusa's faces. 

"What must we do, Vinatos?"

"The remedy is easy enough, though it may take a few days. Feed him less at a time, so there is less to regurgitate, but do so more frequently. Ensure he stays upright as often as possible. My Lady, do the children sleep on their backs?" Medusa nodded at him. "Anora should be fine as long as she has not shown similar symptoms. Daryn must sleep at somewhat of an angle, about 35 to 40 degrees upright. Gravity will keep the contents of his stomach in place. In a few days he will gain the muscle on his own, there is nothing else in particular that you need to do."

Vinatos returned to his bag and shuffled through it for a vial of some sort. "This will help soothe the pain and make him sleepy, if I have your permission to give it to him. He may sleep much longer than his typical nap but you will still be able to wake him to feed." Medusa nodded at the physician and watched him struggle to quiet Daryn long enough to give him the milky substance. It did not take effect instantly, only after Vinatos handed the baby to his mother and packed his bag once again did Daryn finally doze.

As he finished packing, Black Bolt opened their storage closet to find a gift they received after the birth of the twins. They never bothered with it because they did not see the necessity of it but now Black Bolt thanked Randac they did not throw it out. It was a 'bouncer,' as the Nuhuman referred to it, and appeared to be an angled cot small enough for an infant. Black Bolt held it up for Vinatos to inspect.

"Ah, perfect! Humans are somewhat backward in their customs but occasionally they create something useful. Yes, Daryn can sleep in this for the next week or two. The only time he needs to lay flat is when changing him. He should feel better shortly and start catching up to his sister's weight." Vinatos smiled at them and bowed to Medusa. "My Lady, with your permission."

"Vinatos, you no longer need my permission to do anything. We hold no power."

"Old habits, my Lady. Ahura, good night." He waved at Ahura before disappearing with Lockjaw and Black Bolt to return to New Attilan. Medusa motioned for Ahura to place the bouncer device in her bedroom next to the crib where Anora slept. She placed Daryn in it and looked at her baby's serene face, the most calm and relaxed he appeared in a week. Ahura kissed Medusa's cheek and returned to his own bed to crash for a few more hours.

Black Bolt returned and changed into proper bedclothes to settle in next to Medusa. He checked on Anora first, then eased into bed. _It's strange seeing him in something so human._

"If it helps him feel better, I don't mind. My poor boy." She reached down to the floor where the bouncer rested and stroked Daryn's chubby cheek.

Black Bolt kissed Medusa's bare shoulder, prompting her to turn so he could kiss her properly. They were both too tired for sex, but since this was the first quiet moment they had in days they at least wanted to enjoy the moment. 

_You're still_ my _queen, you know. Queen of my life._

Medusa smiled up at him and stroked his chin. "I'm glad you didn't forget."


	5. Chapter 5

Ahura rolled his eyes as Luna gushed over Anora, who had just smiled at her. His baby siblings' gummy smiles (a recent development) _were_  adorable, he admitted that, but Luna was just being _silly_. The twins smiled all the time! Just because his cousin wasn't normally here to see it... He hoped his thirteen year old cousin wouldn't spend _too_  long baby-talking the little ones; his parents and Crystal would join them for lunch in an hour or so, after their private talk elsewhere in the Quiet Room, and Ahura and Luna were meant to be looking after the twins in the apartment until then. Ahura had other plans for the morning, but to get what he wanted, he'd need Luna's full attention (and co-operation.)

Daryn's tiny hand waved, managing to catch hold of Luna's hair, which was dangling forward as she knelt near the babies. Ahura quickly and deftly unwound the strands of hair from his little brother's fist, before they ended up in his mouth, as most things seemed to now that Daryn had recovered from his illness and gained better control of his movements. He and Anora were about equal in size now- and they could both smile, laugh, roll over and they frequently grabbed anything within reach.

Daryn's little face screwed up as he was deprived of his 'toy'. Ahura picked him up, pulling a funny face and poking his tongue out, grinning as he saw Daryn begin to laugh. Shifting the squirmy baby to one arm, he tapped Luna on the shoulder and tried to sign with one hand- it wasn't easy. It took a few tries for her to understand his meaning, then she frowned.

"You want me to look after the twins? Why, where are you going?"

Ahura shrugged, cursing the fact that he was blushing, trying to will it to stop. 'Please?' He signed again.

Luna sat back and folded her arms. "I'll only say yes if you tell me where you're going."

Ahura settled Daryn back down on the carpet beside his sister, smiling as both twins babbled to each other before replying. 'Just going for a walk with a friend.' He signed quickly.

Luna's eyes widened, and then she giggled, clapping her hands to her mouth. "You're going out with a _girl_!"

Ahura shook his head vehemently, his face going scarlet again.

Luna couldn't stop laughing. "You are! Who is it?"

He shook his head again, signing. 'Will you babysit or not?' He was getting annoyed; he had to meet Irelle in half an hour! This unexpected visit from Aunt Crystal and Luna had both messed things up and made it easier- at least he didn't _have_  to stay with the twins now...

Luna sighed dramatically. " _Fine_. But if I get told off, I'm saying it was all your idea!"

Ahura rapidly signed 'thank you', taking no notice of her words, running to his room to quickly tidy his appearance then darting towards the front door. He glanced back at Luna once- she was holding Anora now. 'I'm back before parents here,' he signed as fast as he could before running from the apartment- he didn't want to be late! Irelle might think he'd changed his mind if he wasn't there on time...

The door slamming shut behind him startled both twins who looked at the door, then almost as one turned their heads to Luna, eyes wide, as if wondering what was going on.

Anora began wriggling in her arms, making squeaking noises and reaching toward Daryn. Luna carefully set her down next to her twin and decided to go find some toys so she could play with the babies properly. Finding a toybox in the twins' room, she half carried, half dragged it into the sitting room- only to freeze when she saw that Anora had somehow wriggled away from her brother, made her way to the stereo, and was gleefully pulling on the dangling wires, dragging the stereo closer and closer to the edge of the stand.

Luna raced over and picked her up, before she could pull the stereo down on her own head. Anora immediately began crying. Loudly.

"No, Anora, you mustn't do that," Luna tried to explain over the little girl's screams. She carried her to the toybox and knelt, wanting to let Anora choose her favourite toy, if she had one. The baby immediately grabbed at a yellow felt ball, stopping her crying. Luna, relieved at having solved that so easily, left Anora lying on her stomach playing with the ball, and looked at Daryn-

Who had somehow got to the _other_  side of the room and was happily chewing on a leaf that had fallen from a potted plant. Gasping, she went and pulled it from his mouth.

"Daryn! That's not food!" She scolded. But if he was hungry... Quickly grabbing a stuffed toy dog from the toybox, she gave it to Daryn (it went straight into his mouth to be chewed) then picked him up. She struggled to shift him to one arm like Ahura had, then lifted Anora. It was an effort to hold both twins, especially as they were both fidgeting, but she couldn't leave them alone while she sorted out a snack.

Getting to the kitchen while carrying two babies wasn't easy, but Luna got there in the end, setting both twins down on the tiled floor with their respective toys, leaving them playing and holding each others' hands while she looked around in the cupboards, trying to find some baby-friendly food. Eventually, she found some instant porridge mix, and took down the packet, frowning. The twins didn't have teeth, but porridge was soft.... Heating it up as fast as she could, she dished it into two small bowls, found two tiny spoons, and knelt next to the twins to feed them.

Anora and Daryn seemed more interested in the toys they were playing with at first, so Luna, huffing, took the toys away to get her small cousins' attention. Filling one spoon, she held it out to Anora, who simply stared. Luna opened her mouth, hoping Anora would copy her (she'd read somewhere that babies did that). To her surprise, _Daryn_  was the one to open his mouth first. Shrugging, she gave him the first mouthful, then went to get the other spoon to feed Anora. She tried again (and again, and again) to get Anora to eat when she heard a 'splat' followed by a metallic clank. Blinking, she turned.

Daryn had gotten hold of his spoon and thrown it, so now there was porridge residue on the floor, and the spoon had fallen... somewhere.

Luna went to get a cloth to wipe up the mess, sighing. Ahura had never said the twins were such hard work!

Anora began giggling. Luna's heart sank, but she looked round. The baby girl had put her hands into the bowl of porridge and was gleefully smearing it all over her own face, clothes and hair. Daryn, watching his sister with his head tilted to one side, chuckled, then apparently decided this was a great game, and joined in, decorating himself with his own porridge. A great deal of it also ended up on the floor. And on Luna, as, when she went to stop them, they 'cleaned' their hands by wiping them all over her.

By this point the thirteen year old was almost in tears. She'd wanted to be helpful, and had felt proud that she'd been trusted with the babies on her own, but _everything_  was going wrong! She was _never_  going to let Ahura leave her alone with them again, she fumed, as she picked up the (empty) bowls, then stared in dismay at the little bit of kitchen floor visible through the 'carpeting' of porridge, and the babies playing happily in the middle of the mess.

Footsteps sounded outside, and Luna's heartrate jumped. If any of the adults saw this mess, she'd be in so much trouble... Running to the sink, she quickly half-filled the plastic washing up bowl, and when it was lukewarm, carried it to the twins, thinking she could quickly wash _them_ , at least. Grabbing a washcloth, she knelt to wet it- just as Anora caught hold of the edge of the bowl and yanked, sending water _everywhere_.

Both babies got doused from head to foot by the sudden flood and both began wailing. Luna stared in horror, all but in tears herself.

And that was when the door opened and Black Bolt, Medusa and Crystal came in.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Ahura dropped himself into the booth of a restaurant to wait for Irelle. It wasn't far from the apartment so he figured there would be plenty of time to have a coffee and get back before his mother and father were home, plus it was one that Nuhumans frequented so he wanted to try it for some time. He was not sure if a Nuhuman owned the establishment, most likely not, but the fact that Ahura was not the only non-human present made him feel comfortable. Everything on the menu was catered to the typical American human diet though, so nothing really looked appetizing to Ahura. Inhumans were predominantly vegetarian by nature due to the scarcity of animals in Attilan, at least when it was on the moon, so Ahura never really acquired the taste of things like bacon or hamburgers. He tried them on occasion, but the taste never sat well with him.

Coffee was something he was familiar with, however, in fact he saw his mother and father drink it a few times. He also read on the internet that a common date was to "get coffee." So that led him to the booth at the restaurant scribbling notes back and forth with the waitress. Every question she asked confused him further, as he was unaware that coffee was so _complicated_. Did he want it black? Well, until now Ahura always thought it looked brown. And as for cream and sugar, were they supposed to go in coffee? Why did humans need to unnecessarily complicate the drink? The closest drink Attilan had to coffee was a hot drink made of fruit juices that most parents gave to ill children, it was rare adults drank more than the artificial purified water in Attilan. Maybe now that Attilan resided in the Hudson River, of all places, the Nuhumans introduced new foods and diets but Ahura rarely went to New Attilan anymore.

He sat facing the door so he could see Irelle arrive, placing a ghost in the seat across the table from him to interpret whatever Irelle said for him. He almost regretted it; the noise of the restaurant made filtering all the different voices and sounds difficult but as soon as Irelle stepped through the front door his attention was focused entirely on her. Something about her made Ahura's brain stutter, and he was yet to figure out why. When he thought about her at home he blushed and when he saw her in person he fidgeted. It was similar to how he felt about Rila until he realized that her attentions were focused on Reader (which Ahura still seethed at; Reader was so much older than her, like 10 years or more? Reader was practically an old man). But now that Ahura sought the affections of Irelle he somewhat forgot about Rila, unless there was an event in the Quiet Room that she interpreted for him.

Irelle appeared to feign happiness as she dropped herself into the booth across from him. Ahura gave her a concerned look to show he was interested in how she felt, prompting Irelle to look at her cellphone and debate handing it to him. She opened the messenger app once again and slid the phone across the table, her facial expression appearing shameful. On the screen was a message from Irelle's sister, Treste.

_do u think its ironic that ahura can't hear and his dad can't speak but they can't even understand each other????_

Ahura was unsure how to feel about the message. It stung, and Irelle could see Ahura was certainly offended by it. Ever since Black Bolt and Ahura socialized with the general public, far more than they did in Attilan, the differences in the way they signed were noticeable even by people who had no fluency. On more than one occasion in the Quiet Room, Black Bolt and Ahura would be in the main bar area and made attempts to communicate becoming visibly frustrated with each other as neither could understand, prompting Medusa to step in and interpret what Ahura wanted to say. It was a source of shame for the family.

Before the moment could drag any further, Irelle gestured to scroll further down and read the next message, which was her response to Treste.

_shut up I don't care about that ok? he signs to me and I don't understand it all the time but I want to learn_

The message made Ahura's emotions flip entirely and he blushed as he returned the phone. The smile that crept across his face was genuine, as was hers, and when her fingers accidentally bumped into his as she took her phone back he stuttered and smiled further. He gestured then to the coffee pot the waitress left with him and then for her to slide her mug across the table to him so he could fill it. The smell was enticing, so surely coffee could not taste bad if he enjoyed the smell.

Irelle pointed to the mug of coffee and shrugged. "How do you, you know, sign it?"

Ahura knew the sign, he learned it in the Deaf school he attended while living with Norm and Verna. He showed her the motion, the way it appeared to grind something. Once at school he asked how the sign related to coffee, since coffee was a liquid and to grind something it would have to be a solid, and his teacher told him coffee came from _beans_ that were ground. Just... _what_? That made no sense to him.

He watched Irelle try to copy his movement, then when she did the sign backward he reached across the table to correct her. Ahura took his time letting go, and Irelle definitely caught him doing so. To keep herself from feeling too embarrassed, Irelle asked about his brother and sister. "Are they still crying all the time?" The ghost relayed the message to him, but some of the words he was unsure what they were used for. His language rarely used auxiliary words like _are_ , but he knew what the other words meant so he could guess the meaning.

"No." That was a word he could say verbally, one of the few. The ghost could pronounce things much more easily for him even though his word order followed how he would sign the phrase. _"Before, Daryn sick. Now, feel improve sick solve."_

"You mean he was sick but now he feels better? Wow, I'm sorry he was sick. Poor baby."

 _Now both big. Babies fat._ Ahura puffed his cheeks out to show her how much the twins grew in only a few months. They were nearing three months old but the size of an average six-month-old human baby, doubling their birth weights and getting into everything they shouldn't. Daryn could drag himself across the carpet with his arms, army-crawling at the rate of an excited sloth, but he was still faster than Anora who could only roll and wriggle toward whatever she wanted. It was fun watching them discover new things, but trying to keep them in one place became difficult with each passing day. Holding them both at the same time was tiring after a few minutes. And Medusa told him that whenever she nursed them she could feel the nubs of new teeth sprouting through their gums already.

He pointed to the coffee mug once again. _You try yet?_

Irelle shook her head. "No, but Frank drinks it like every day. He says he needs it to survive. Do you think he's joking?" Ahura shrugged and raised the mug so he could smell it again. He really did like the smell, and the warmth of the mug was comforting. They both sipped it at the same time, looking to each other to gauge reactions. Surely if humans drank it en masse it couldn't taste bad, could it?

By Randac, it was the most bitter substance Ahura ever tasted.

They both made equally disgusted faces, shoving the mugs and the carafe off to the side of the table as if banishing the offending drink. Why, in Grantor's name, do humans drink it? To rid himself of the taste, Ahura drank the provided water and mentally praised the waitress for bringing it. As he set the glass down once again, a 'voice' broke through his mind, one separate from the noise and chatter of the restaurant.

_Home._

_**Now.** _

His face paled somewhat, recognizing the angry tone of his father. Actually, 'angry' was not deep enough to convey what Ahura felt through his father's tone: Enraged. Incensed. _Infuriated._

Irelle furrowed her eyebrows and asked if he felt well, and Ahura nodded minutely. _My father, he want I go home._ The fact that Ahura and Black Bolt could somewhat communicate telepathically threw Irelle off, as it reminded her of the time she met Maximus who reacted to things that were not present. The difference, however, was that the not-present Black Bolt was a real person and not the product of madness. Ahura recalled the ghost, willing it back into his own mind and pulling out some dollar bills from his pocket. He understood money and how humans bartered, something he learned at the human school, and sometimes he looked at the accounting records for the Quiet Room that Black Bolt hired someone to balance. Ahura left more than enough, suddenly too nervous to count it out.

He asked for Irelle's hand, much in the same way Black Bolt did so to Medusa, and kissed her knuckles to say goodbye for now. The walk back to the Quiet Room was not far, foot traffic slowing him down a bit, but he made it back before the bar officially opened. He snuck through the back entrance, ducking through waiters and waitresses preparing items for the day's drink and food specials. Ahura thought he was safe until Flagman stopped him, holding onto both of his shoulders and looking at him with a rueful smile.

Ahura called forth another ghost to speak for him. " _You look at me strange, why?_ "

Flagman sighed dramatically. "Just wanted to see you one last time before the king murders you."

If Ahura was pale to begin with, he completely blanched now. " _How much trouble?_

"I asked him what he would like me to say at your memorial."

\---

Black Bolt paced in front of the sofa, seething frustration and anger that rolled off him in waves. Ahura could feel it before he even opened the apartment door, but Black Bolt did not give him the opportunity to explain before he pointed to the sofa and forced Ahura to sit. Before Ahura arrived, Black Bolt and Medusa discussed their response to Ahura's behavior and although Medusa felt a modicum of pity for her son, she allowed Black Bolt to fulfill the role of enforcer in this instance.

The twins were taking naps in the nursery, but before Medusa set them in their cribs Black Bolt struggled to maintain a calm demeanor for them and for Luna. His agitation was such that their innocent happiness irked him somewhat. Luna hid behind her mother when she told the adults that Ahura went somewhere else, sniffling and looking at the floor until Black Bolt gently hugged her to calm her down. He was not angry with her or at the state of the apartment when they returned, only at Ahura for leaving his responsibilities to someone not ready for them. She still cowered somewhat, as Black Bolt was an intimidating figure when angry, and tried her best to remain small and unassuming at the other end of the sofa. Crystal also sat with her arm around Luna, trying not to glare at her nephew.

Ahura sat in the designated spot, but Black Bolt did not immediately address his son. Instead he continued pacing, his arms crossed and looking down at the floor as if deep in thought. Medusa recognized the move, it was actually more theatrical than anything, meant to terrify and subdue. It ceased to be effective for Medusa but she could see Ahura did not know how to respond. As soon as Ahura raised his hands, Black Bolt looked up and snapped his fingers at him, silencing his son.

_What, in Randac's name, were you thinking?_

Black Bolt mentally shut Ahura down before he could answer by holding up his hand and looking away.

 _You will remain silent until I am finished. Do you realize how dangerous it was to leave your brother and sister, both of whom are defenseless, with someone unable to defend them? There are poor decisions, Ahura, but this crosses the line of_ negligence. _You were given a responsibility, and not only did you shirk that responsibility you also abandoned members of your family to do as you wish. To say that I am disappointed in you is a gross understatement._

Internally Medusa felt her husband may have been somewhat harsh in dealing with Ahura's behavior but she also recognized that Ahura was old enough to accept the consequence of his decision. Black Bolt had a tendency to be dramatic in his rulings at times, and she knew that the way he chastised Ahura at the present was meant to scare him. When Ahura looked to her for help or support, she shook her head at him. Ahura would receive no support from her in this instance.

_Until you prove yourself responsible once again, you are relegated to working for the Quiet Room's clean-up staff for the next two weeks. You will do anything Flagman and his staff ask of you, without question or complaint. For the next two weeks you will do nothing without supervision; you will do your homework, work the kitchen, eat, and sleep. Your only privacy is bathing. Is that understood?_

Ahura nodded and tugged at the hem of his button-down shirt.

_You will not join us downstairs until you have cleaned the kitchen, and if it is not spotless, you will start over. First, apologize to your cousin and thank her for caring for your siblings. Now, do you have anything to say for yourself?_

 

Ahura shook his head.

_Alright then, you may begin working. Go._

Black Bolt glared as his son went to the kitchen to fill the dish bucket with soapy water. To Luna he held out his hand for hers and pat it, all the tension and anger dissipating as soon as Ahura crossed over the threshold into the kitchen. He smiled at his niece to reassure her once again that he was not angry with her. If anything he was grateful she did her best with the twins. The twins were not harmed in the slightest, and truthfully they could generate the same mess even with practiced adults, but Ahura needed to learn to follow through with his responsibilities and accept the consequences of his poor decisions. He led Luna and Crystal to the door and gestured that he would meet them in the seminar area with the rest of the family soon.

With the door closed and Ahura clanging around the kitchen for cleaning supplies, Medusa demurely grinned at her husband. "Just a tad harsh, Blackagar." Black Bolt shrugged and considered the thought for a moment, grinning back to her.

_He has to learn, Medusa. I'd rather he learn now than when we are unable to correct him._

She nodded to him in agreement. "I'll ready the little ones to go downstairs while you play overlord in the kitchen. At least let him eat more than gruel when he's finished."

Black Bolt kissed her quickly and grinned once again. _I'll consider it._


	7. Chapter 7

Ahura sighed to himself. His two weeks helping Flagman in the kitchen were over, _finally_ , and he'd been eager to spend the day outside the bar, but then his parents had asked (read: told) him that he had to mind the twins for a few hours as they wanted some 'private time'. As if he didn't know what  _that_ really meant!

 _Ugh._  Just the thought of what his parents might be doing made Ahura want to be ill. But he supposed they deserved some privacy- the twins had turned 'breakfast' into 'let's paint the highchairs with baby food', and Black Bolt and Medusa had made themselves scarce soon after, having threatened Ahura with months of kitchen work if he tried to fob the twins off on someone else again, like he had with Luna. (He also knew Flagman had been told to make sure nothing of the sort happened again, because apparently Ahura's word wasn't fully trusted yet.)

So here he was, sprawled on the sofa, trying to read a book, the twins having 'tummy time' on the carpet in front of him, with one of his ghosts watching and listening, so he'd know if there was a problem. He nonetheless glanced up every time his eyes caught movement from the babies. Various toys were scattered around, but the twins seemed more intent on staring at each other.

A strange noise filtered through the ghost to Ahura, and he looked up, puzzled. Anora had managed to reach out and pat Daryn's hair, and was, for some reason, giggling. Daryn wriggled forward, reaching for his twin's head, touching a hand to her scalp (Anora still had far less hair than him) and burst into laughter himself.

The sound of both babies' hysterical laughter filled the apartment for several minutes. Ahura found himself laughing too- the sound they made was so infectious, even if he had no idea what the joke was. (He doubted they did either.)

He was distracted from the twins' antics when his newly acquired cell phone vibrated. (It had been given to him by his mother, so he could get help if needed while minding the twins, or if he was out somewhere and couldn't make himself understood- typing was an easy solution.) He pulled it out quickly and grinned. It was a text from Irelle (he'd sent her his number as soon as he'd gotten this device), and she was..... _downstairs right now_?! Ahura jumped to his feet, grinning, eager to see her, then he remembered he couldn't leave the twins alone, and his parents would ground him _forever_  if he gave them to someone else to mind again. He thought fast, then remembered one of the gifts given to his parents when the twins had been born. He began rootling through cupboards- where was it?

*Got it!* He pulled the strange backpack-like item from a cupboard, and after a few minutes, worked out how to put it on and secure the babies in it. Actually _getting_  the giggly, squirmy babies into the carrier was harder than it looked, but he got there in the end, and after checking they couldn't possibly fall out, he slipped the carrier on, so that Anora was snuggled against his chest and Daryn was supported against his back, facing his twin sister. Scribbling a note for his parents, he placed it on the coffee table, under a coaster, and quickly made his way out of the apartment and down the stairs, eager to see Irelle, baby siblings in tow or not.

Flagman raised a brow at Ahura when he carried the babies into the bar, clearly about to protest. Ahura grinned disarmingly and quickly typed a message on his phone, holding it up for Flagman to see.

 **No-one said I couldn't bring them down here if I wanted, so I'm not doing anything wrong. I left a note for my parents** _**.** _

Flagman sighed, rolling his eyes, but waved Ahura on, though he did tap him on the shoulder, point at the babies, then at the entrance to the building, and shake his head firmly.

Ahura nodded, getting the message- no leaving the Quiet Room with the babies. Spotting Irelle at one of the corner tables in the restaurant section, he hurried over to her. She looked up and smiled when she saw him, though she seemed a bit surprised to see the twins.

He sat down carefully, making sure not to jostle Anora and Daryn, who were both looking round curiously, taking in all the new sights and sounds of this strange place.

Irelle's expression practically melted, going all soft, when Anora smiled, reaching chubby hands out to her. She leaned forward, then hesitated, meeting Ahura's eyes.

'Can I...?' she signed clumsily.

Ahura thought for a minute, then gestured for her to wait. He carefully removed Anora from the carrier, then slowly handed her to Irelle, making sure she supported the baby properly and staying where Anora could see him so she didn't start crying at being given to a stranger. Sitting beside Irelle, he cautiously took the baby carrier from his back, moving at snail's pace, and lifted Daryn into his arms. His little brother cooed happily, reaching for Ahura's face and giving him a toothless smile. He conjured a ghost to sit opposite them, so he could hear Irelle's words.

Irelle smiled at Anora, before looking at Ahura, looking worried. "Are you alright? I know you said you were in trouble... is it OK that you're here now?"

Ahura shifted Daryn to one arm, signing awkwardly, unused to having to use one hand. 'Punishment over. Kitchen work. Boring.'

Irelle looked startled, then giggled. Ahura raised a brow, turning slightly to face her.

"I'm sorry," she managed to say amid laughs. "It's just.... the idea of the prince working in a kitchen..."

Ahura shrugged. 'Not prince anymore,' he signed, a slight smile on his face. He loved hearing Irelle laugh even if it was through the ears of the ghost, and seeing how her face lit up, eyes sparkling, when she was happy. 'Just Ahura.'

Anora, apparently bored of their talking, caught a lock of Irelle's honey-blonde hair and started tugging on it. Seeing the slight look of pain that Irelle was trying to hide, Ahura quickly freed her hair from Anora's little fist, letting his baby sister hold his index finger instead. She promptly put his finger into her mouth and began gnawing on it. This meant he had to shift closer to Irelle, which made him go red in the face, to his annoyance.

Sitting side by side, so close to Irelle, made Ahura's heart pound. Holding the twins (and Ahura now having no free hands) meant they couldn't sign to each other with ease, and he couldn't help staring at her face, noting her beautiful amber-colored eyes, how long her eyelashes were, the way the blush on her face made her even prettier... He didn't even realise he'd leaned closer until their lips brushed together--

Then the door to the Quiet Room slammed open, letting in a burst of freezing air, startling them both into jerking away from each other as the loud noise startled Anora and Daryn, who both began wailing. Ahura's ghost flickered and vanished as his concentration broke as well.

Ahura rocked Daryn to soothe him. Irelle followed his example, rocking Anora, and both babies soon calmed. Neither teen looked at the other, embarrassed by what had almost happened. Ahura looked up at the open door, where an old grey-haired man in tattered black clothes stood. Flagman was in front of him, seeming reluctant to let him into the Quiet Room. Ahura could understand why- the man looked homeless, and underfed, malnourished. Yet there was something proud and regal about him, the way he carried himself, and he looked oddly familiar...

Wanting to know why, he stood, and took a few steps closer. The old man's eyes fell on him, and widened. He pushed past Flagman, and caught Ahura by the shoulders, his eyes scarily intense. Ahura tried to back up, worried now, and wanting to protect Daryn from this stranger, but the old man wouldn't let him go. He said something, too fast for Ahura to lip read, and then Flagman managed to pull the man away from him. Ahura immediately retreated, watching the stranger warily.

The old man looked confused now, and also dazed. He swayed on the spot- from exhaustion? He kept his eyes on Ahura's, saying one more word, that looked like a question, before collapsing.

Ahura watched all this, shocked at the bizarre behavior of the stranger, as Flagman called for medical help and also sent a text message to Black Bolt, presumably alerting him to potential trouble, before coming to check if Ahura and Daryn were alright.

Irelle came to join him as well, still carrying Anora. Ahura conjured a ghost so he could hear more of what was going on. Passing Daryn to Flagman for a second, he signed to Irelle. 'Did you hear what he said?' He gestured towards the unconscious stranger.

Irelle nodded, looking confused. "He must be from Old Attilan, because he spoke Tilanese, but..." She trailed off, staring at the stranger, then at Ahura, then back at the old man.

Ahura tapped her on the shoulder. "What?" He mouthed slowly.

She shook her head. "He must be ill, or just really confused...."

'Why?' Ahura signed, not liking how worried she looked.

"Because he called you 'Maximus'."

Ahura stared at the old man. Why had this stranger mistaken him for his mad uncle? Was this one of Maximus' enemies, looking to settle an old score or something? He shivered, suddenly feeling unsafe. If that were true, and this man thought that _he_ was Maximus... He should get out of here, back to the apartment, get the babies out of danger... But by now, his parents would be on their way down here, so this would be sorted soon. Nonetheless, he took Daryn back from Flagman and moved as far away from the collapsed stranger as he could, using his head to gesture for Irelle to follow him. She did so without protest, looking as unnerved as Ahura felt. Flagman stood guard over the stranger, sighing in relief when Reader and Rila came over. He had them herd Ahura, Irelle and the babies to the restaurant area at the back of the bar, while lifting the stranger in his arms and carrying him towards the 'Drunk Tank'. Vinatos showed up, courtesy of Lockjaw, minutes later, hurrying after Flagman. Ahura leaned against the wall, rocking Daryn and checking Anora, still in Irelle's arms, wondering what was going on, as Reader's dog Forey sat in front of him, as if standing guard. He saw his parents arrive downstairs, but they went straight towards the Tank without noticing Ahura, who frowned. This stranger had to be someone important... but who?

_**To be continued...** _


	8. Chapter 8

Black Bolt cursed the day cell phones were invented when his bleeped at him from the night stand. Humans were obsessed with them, and his growing dependence on the device annoyed him. His son barely looked up from his own throughout the day, constantly texting away to someone until Black Bolt or Medusa removed the phone. It was something they discussed before falling asleep, but they were too tired to decide a solution to the issue.

Black Bolt and Medusa retired after breakfast to catch up on rest that morning. To ensure Ahura did not interrupt them Black Bolt implied that they wanted intimate time alone together, and he internally giggled when Ahura scrunched his face in disgust. Once their bedroom door closed Black Bolt tugged Medusa against himself just so he could feel her body against his, and he kissed her deeper than he had in days, but as soon as they separated Medusa yawned widely into the back of her hand. They decided they were too tired for sex and a nap was preferable.

Medusa was thankful the twins could eat pureed fruit or extremely fine oatmeal now. Black Bolt did not like the idea of his children eating manufactured human food, but the demand of nursing two rapidly growing infants meant one was attached to her chest nearly every waking hour of the day until they were back in their cribs for the night. And besides, if they ate the pureed food then Ahura could help feed them. She still nursed the babies, mostly to settle them down for a nap or at night for bedtime. Anora had one tooth that threatened to break through her gum any day now, so if anything Medusa was somewhat grateful the baby girl did not have to bite her anymore.

When Black Bolts phone buzzed again he stared at it for a moment as if he could mentally will it out of existence. Disappointed, he finally picked up the phone just as it buzzed continuously, meaning someone was calling him. Phone calls were rare, the only time the phone rang was if Flagman encountered an emergency.

He jabbed the green icon to accept the call from Flagman who paused momentarily before speaking. It was something they actually had to practice when Black Bolt bought the phone, so Flagman would not start talking before the device was up to Black Bolt's ear. "Sir, there is an emergency downstairs, come quickly."

Black Bolt looked at the screen again and pressed a key so it would make a tone. The tone alerted Flagman that Black Bolt understood, another communication system he worked out with his major domo: one beep for yes, two for no. Luckily they only needed to use the system once before, when a chef caught the kitchen on fire. Something about the way Flagman spoke suggested this was a new situation entirely.

As he jabbed the red button to end the call, he tapped Medusa on her shoulder. She blinked up at him, green eyes barely visible in the dark and hair covering half her face. "Is everything alright?"

Black Bolt shook his head then paused, listening for something. It wasn't a particular noise, in fact it was the lack of noise that concerned him. _Where are our children?_

Medusa sat straight up in bed and listened for the chatter of the babies or Ahura making more noise than he thought he made. Ahura at times did not realize how loud he would be, and the babies made some type of noise from around the moment they woke until they quieted at night for bed. But the apartment was silent.

They scrambled to clothe themselves once again, Medusa forgoing shoes to follow her husband downstairs as quickly as possible. She could hear the staff of the Quiet Room muttering amongst themselves in hushed tones but she had difficulty understanding them with her heart pounding away in her ears. They parted when the king and queen worked through them, going back to completing whatever tasks they were assigned. Flagman waved them over to the hallway containing the Tank that Maximus occupied about a month prior.

"Where are our children?" Medusa did not give Flagman time to mention anything else before she spoke over him.

"They're safe, all three are in the back of the restaurant with Irelle and Reader, and his little dog is guarding them," Flagman rattled off quickly. He then pointed to the door of the tank. "Vinatos is in there with him now."

Black Bolt glanced at Medusa, who spoke for him. _Who? Maximus?_

Flagman shook his head and knocked on the door, peeking inside. "He's here," said the colorful inhuman to, presumably, Vinatos on the inside of the door. Flagman then stepped back and held the door open so Black Bolt could see inside. The inhuman sitting on the cot looked similar to Maximus, but the tall forehead told Black Bolt otherwise. Medusa could hear her husband audibly gasp when he realized who sat before him.

Agon.  
\---

Medusa listened to her husband's internal monologue as he attempted to make sense of what he saw. His typically linear thought pattern stumbled and crashed as if it were Attilan falling into the Harlem River all over again.

 _How_ was they most frequent word that she could catch. It was rare that Black Bolt's thoughts were this disorganized, and it worried her that her husband was so discombobulated. He wanted to slam the door closed, run, faint, and hug the man seated on the cot all at the same time. When Black Bolt seized up and did not gesture or telepathically speak to her, Medusa placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke the words he had trouble organizing. "How are you alive?"

Vinatos sat back to allow Agon to answer for himself. "Medusalith? My, you look lovely. Ambur and Quelin must be proud of such a beautiful daughter, far from the troublemaker you were as a young girl. Or have they passed on? I've no idea how long it's been." Agon looked to Vinatos, who merely blinked back at him.

The tiredness in Agon's face was apparent, as if this was the first rest he had in years. The old inhuman sat on the cot with his hands folded but occasionally worked his kneecap to ease an ache in his joint. Black Bolt, still practically frozen in his spot, gaped at Medusa, completely helpless in the moment. He was unsure what question to even ask.

Medusa wrapped her hand around her husband's bicep to help ground him. "Vinatos, have you verified that this is truly Agon?"

The wiry, bug-like inhuman nodded and looked at his data pad. "Yes, my Lady. I've compared his DNA with records stored in Attilan's databanks, and the alleles match. I also ensured that he is not a Skrull, or an imposter of some sort. By all of my sensors and reports, this is truly Agon."

Medusa covered her mouth with her hand, forcing back the feeling that she was going to vomit. Black Bolt's face completely paled, and when Vinatos noticed he quickly stood and nudged Black Bolt into the chair he occupied a moment ago. Ever aware of decorum and the need to ensure that his king was in control, Vinatos chastised himself aloud for not offering his seat in the first place. Truthfully it was to make sure Black Bolt did not faint from shock but he wanted to save Black Bolt's pride and not allow his king to appear weak.

Agon looked into the eyes of his son, eyes he did not see for nearly thirty years. In both of his sons, Blackagar and Maximus, the shape of their faces came from Agon, but Blackagar's eyes were carbon copies of their mother's. Agon fell in love with Rynda through her eyes.

"My son, you've grown so.." Agon's voice choked, hardly louder than a whisper. He never thought he would see either of his sons grow into manhood, not from his place in the mines on the Kree home planet of Hala. And he certainly did not expect to see his son outside of Attilan. Agon barely saw Blackagar out of the anechoic chamber before the Kree ship exploded, but here sat his oldest son outside the chamber, outside Attilan, in very human-like clothing. "You are so much taller than I remember, Blackagar."

Sitting allowed Black Bolt to somewhat organize his thoughts and not worry about just remaining upright. _Where have you been?_

Medusa read the question in Black Bolt's mind, posing it to Agon. "Hala, working in the Kree mines. I escaped in a stolen pod and navigated it towards Earth, then crashed near enough to a cave that I resided in until I was sure it was safe."

Black Bolt immediately thought back to the meeting in the park with Ahura finding Maximus wondering about the caves. Maximus claimed that he saw a ghost, but Black Bolt figured it was a figment of madness. Instead, the ghost sat in the exact same spot as Maximus, only the ghost was living being.

Agon looked to Medusa and genuinely smiled at her. "It pleases me that he can communicate through you. Does he control you to do so?"

The way Agon phrased his question irked Medusa, and she was not sure why. Maybe it was the way he implied that Black Bolt could override her autonomy? "No, I speak for him voluntarily."

Despite Black Bolt's dependence on Medusa for communication, she never felt obligated or forced to do so. She did it because she loved him, and as teenagers learning about one another it was how they fell in love. Their communication was their own, something they created together just like the three children on the other side of the bar. Black Bolt told her his secrets, his hopes and dreams, the plans he had for Attilan as soon as he accepted the throne. She knew about his "bad" days in the chamber, days where he considered hanging himself due to the extreme isolation and lack of physical contact from another inhuman. He considered it, even going so far as to devise a rigging that would prevent him from choking as he suffocated so he would not accidentally destroy the planet. But Medusa saved him, talking to him through the viewing pane as if there was not anything separating them. He never told her that part, that he stopped because she treated him as any other inhuman. She knew he considered suicide in his teen years; actually her response was that she didn't blame him. From then on he lived to see her every day so they could devise their own communication system, teaching her the gestures and informal signs he frequently used. Medusa never felt burdened because she spoke for her husband, even while they were separated.

Black Bolt glanced to Medusa once again when she placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned against him. She was there to support her husband, calmly stroking a small spot in the back of his neck to calm him. Agon did not appear to notice the gesture, instead he looked to the door.

"There was a boy outside, I'd mistaken him for Maximus in my delirious state. Does he belong to Maximus? I never considered that I may have a grandchild; Maximus was always so focused on tinkering I was never sure if the Council bothered to match him with a compatible mate."

Black Bolt shook his head, barely, and placed a hand on his chest. _Mine._

Agon's eyebrows shot up, making his already large forehead appear even larger. "Yours? By Randac, my oldest has an heir." Agon's face lit up, so proud of his son in that moment. "Can I meet him?"

Black Bolt looked upwards to Medusa for her approval, nodding at Flagman to retrieve his children from their designated booth. Agon continued, smiling away at the prospect of meeting his grandson.

"The boy also held an infant, and a young lady with him held another. Do they belong to Maximus then? They appear to be twins."

Black Bolt shook his head again, holding up three fingers then placing his hand against his chest again. _All three are mine._

The smile on Agon's face immediately dissipated. "Three? Blackagar, you are aware of the Council's decision to limit parents to a maximum of two children. How could you so blatantly disregard their ruling like this?"

Before Agon could continue berating his son further, Medusa shifted and commanded Agon's attention. "The Council's ruling is moot in this instance. We were unaware there were two children until their birth."

Agon continued to scowl, crossing his arms. If he were king, one of the infants would either be destroyed or given to another couple to be raised. But that was thirty years ago, in that time the decree may have changed. It did not make him happy but it appeared to satisfy him momentarily.

The door to the Tank cracked open, Ahura's face peeking through. Black Bolt could hear his youngest children cooing and vocalizing in the hallway, most likely at each other. The young man stepped inside fully while holding Anora in one arm, Flagman holding Daryn just out of sight. Medusa waved them in and took Daryn from Flagman.

 _Who is this?_ Ahura signed to Medusa after shifting Anora to his hip.

 _My love, this is your grandfather_.

Ahura looked into Agon's eyes, searching for the delirium he saw earlier. The only grandparents he knew were Medusa's parents, Ahura was told Black Bolt's were both dead. Agon stared back, albeit for a different reason.

"He is like you, Blackagar? He inherited your power?" Agon watched further as Medusa signed to her son, explaining the situation as best she could with only one free hand. Black Bolt was unsure of Agon's intended meaning behind the question. Medusa flattened some of Ahura's wild bed head before speaking again.

"No, our son is deaf. He has his own unique talents."

Ahura tried to follow what his mother said, calling forth a ghost to help. Anora raised her chubby arms towards the ghost as if she wanted it to lift her. The ghost stood off to the side out of the way.

Agon asked Medusa for Ahura's name, rather than asking Ahura directly. It only served to piss Ahura off and he spoke before Medusa could do so for him. "Uh-yoo-wa."

The face Agon made was difficult to decipher; Ahura could tell that Agon did not understand what he said, but there was also a look of displeasure and disappointment. Medusa pronounced the name more clearly, but Agon ignored her and looked to the twins. "And what of these two? What are their names?"

Medusa gestured for Ahura to turn his sister around so Agon could see her. "Ahura is holding Anora, and this one is Daryn. We named him after Rynda."

From his spot in the chair, Black Bolt beamed at his father. He was so proud of his children, even though all three were serious violations of the Council. So Agon could see them closer, Black Bolt took both babies and set them on his knees. They appeared wary of their grandfather, uncertain of someone who looked like their father and older brother but whom they were yet to meet.

Agon pulled himself to the edge of the cot, ignoring his popping joints and the ache in his back, so he could inspect the babies further. Daryn turned inward towards his father and away from his grandfather out of shyness while Anora stared back at Agon as if sizing him up, a look she no doubt borrowed from her big brother when he was being defiant. If this were almost any other situation, Black Bolt would find the look adorable.

Agon examined each baby. "Which one of these two will succeed you? It's rare that a girl takes the throne as heir but not unheard of."

Medusa and Black Bolt exchanged glances, both equally confused. Black Bolt's reign may have been unorthodox, with many more violations than just three unplanned children, but the line of succession was something they left intact. Instead Black Bolt pointed at his oldest son. _Ahura will take the throne when he is ready._

There was a pause in between Medusa voicing for her husband and Agon's reaction. Suddenly Agon's face contorted and he burst out laughing. "Come now, Blackagar, do not jest. Which of these babies have you chosen as heir?"

To further his point, Black Bolt jabbed his finger towards Ahura once more. All laughing stopped when Agon realized his son was serious.

"Blackagar, the boy is not...he's unfit to rule."

Medusa stood to her full height once again, incredulous as she understood what Agon implied. "I assure you Ahura is capable of succeeding his father. He is young yet, and is still learning what it means to rule, but he will make an excellent king. The title has very little power anymore, it is more decorative than anything and kept primarily to appease the elders of New Attilan." Medusa did not try to hide her nod at Agon when she said 'elders.'

" _New Attilan_? What do you mean _New Attilan_?"

"You've been gone a long time, Agon. Attilan as you knew it is practically non-existent. I stripped away the powers of the monarchy and left the rule in the hands of elected officials."

Agon jumped to his feet, quicker than anyone expected based on the way he massaged his knees, and glared into Medusa's eyes. He was almost as tall as her, though the last few inches of his height came from his cranium. "Woman, what have you done?"

She kept her cool, glaring right back at her father-in-law. "You heard what I said."

Agon looked to his son for confirmation, throwing his hands up when Black Bolt nodded and agreed with his wife. "This is too much, Blackagar. Unapproved children I can forgive, there were plenty in Attilan before I was captured, but three unapproved children? And now I'm told that Attilan is in the hands of _elected_ officials? What were you thinking, Blackagar? People do not know how to lead, singular individuals do."

The scene looked eerily similar to two weeks ago when Black Bolt chastised Ahura in their living room. Only now Ahura watched his grandfather do the same to Black Bolt. Medusa interrupted Agon's rant once again. "It was my decision, not my husband's."

Agon looked to Medusa as if he could set her on fire with his eyes. "You? This is your fault?"

She nodded again, pure defiance in her face.

"What else have you done to ruin my family and my lineage, woman? Not only have you ruined our title but you've produced an unsuitable heir to the throne. If I still ruled-"

"But you don't."

Agon continued as if she never spoke and pointed to Ahura. "If I still ruled, a deaf boy would've been destroyed before he even left your womb!"

Silence permeated the room, Medusa and Agon still squaring off with each other, until Ahura stomped his foot to grab their attention. Ahura looked at all three adults in turn, slackjawed, searching their faces for answers. He felt his throat tighten, forcing tears clouding his vision not to spill over. _Is that true, mom?_

Medusa blinked once at him, then turned to Black Bolt who looked away in shame. When she returned her son's gaze once again she nodded. _The Council wanted me to destroy you before you were born but not because--Ahura!_ "

Ahura did not allow her to finish before he turned his back to her, the ghost disappearing. The young man stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him and startling the babies. They clung to their father like small apes, faces buried against his shoulder. The yelling and door slamming frightened them.

Agon sat down again with his arms crossed, the same way Maximus did when thinking. "I'm disappointed in you, Blackagar. Ashamed, even. You've made our line weak, reducing our heritage to nothing more than a title. I suppose it fits that a broken title will go to a broken boy."

The joy Black Bolt felt at seeing his father once again quickly turned into shame and sadness. His father did nothing but insult them; Black Bolt could forgive his father when his words sounded like genuine ignorance as there was no way for Agon to keep up with the changes occurring while deep in a Kree mine. But there was no trace of ignorance now; Agon knew he was insulting them and he did so willingly.

Medusa remained standing, the shock on her face apparent. She then peeked her head out the door and called for Flagman to take the babies outside and away from the argument. Before closing the door she forced a smile at him and Irelle who waited near Flagman and happily accepted Anora into her arms once again when the baby girl stretched toward her. With her youngest children safe, Medusa closed the door once again and locked it.

"Now you listen to me, Agon. I won't tolerate you insulting my son or my husband any longer. Whatever you have to say about me, I no longer care. I stopped caring the moment I disobeyed you and entered Blackagar's chamber that you locked him in for nearly two decades."

Black Bolt held up his hand, indicating that he had something to say. Medusa spoke for him. " _Ahura was not born deaf, you arrogant ass, he lost his hearing in an accident as a toddler. There is nothing wrong with his ability to learn or think, he merely does so in a different way. My son is extremely resilient, and you will respect that; despite being tortured by your Council, he is a brilliant and caring boy._

 _"And as for my reign, I did the best I could with what you left me. The monarchy of Attilan was never perfect, far from it, but what you left me was a quagmire of outdated decrees that even the elders did not remember their intention."_ Medusa did not even realize she was using her hair as something of an accusatory finger, jabbing at Agon to emphasize various words to support Black Bolt's point. " _You may remain here, but only if you recognize your place and realize that you no longer hold any power. Otherwise, I take no issue in returning you to the caves in the park. I lost you and my mother once, and I moved on; don't assume for one moment that I will not do so a second time_."

The silence that remained felt oppressive as Black Bolt squared off with his father, words he wanted to say for nearly three decades hanging in the air. Surely they would haunt him like ghosts later. Agon kept his arms crossed, muttering an impetulant agreement that he would behave.

Black Bolt nodded and stood with his wife, fiercely protective of her and their family. The adrenaline of yelling at his father made him breathe heavily through his nose as he unlocked the door and waved over Flagman once again. Behind him Irelle sat with the babies who lay on their bellies with a blanket underneath, sharing a toy and oblivious to the drama occurring behind them. Black Bolt quickly typed out a message on his phone. **Set him up in one of the conference guest rooms.**

Flagman nodded and clarified a few details, then darted off as soon as Black Bolt thanked him by clapping him on the shoulder. Flagman was practically family at this point, the Quiet Room would fall apart without the colorful inhuman.

While the room was prepared, Medusa went to her youngest children and thanked Irelle for minding them. Irelle asked about Ahura.

"Is he okay? I saw him go upstairs earlier but he looked upset, and he hasn't answered any of my texts."

Medusa ruefully smiled at her, not drawing any attention to the fact that she now knew who her son constantly texted. "It's been a difficult day, my dear. He will be fine, he just needs some time to work through how he feels." Irelle nodded and slipped her phone back in her handbag.

"Well, I guess tell him I hope he feels better and I'm here if he needs someone to talk to."

Briefly Medusa wrapped her arm around Irelle's shoulder and squeezed. "I'm sure he appreciates that. Thank you for being there for him."

They parted ways one again, Medusa picking up Anora and handing her to her father. The twins' nap time approached and they would need to be in their respective cribs soon before they grew cranky and irritable, and she needed to check on Ahura. No doubt her oldest was upset with his interaction with his grandfather.

Black Bolt and Medusa retreated upstairs, not looking back at Agon once. Flagman would alert them if anything else happened, but they both doubted anything would. The slow walking and swaying up the steps to the apartment lulled the babies, and before they reached the top step Daryn already fought to remain awake. His fuzzy head dropped into Medusa's shoulder and he yawned.

With the twins in their cribs, Daryn already asleep and Anora putting up a valiant effort not to, Black Bolt left their door ajar and stepped over to Ahura's. He knocked, waiting for a ghost to respond, then tried to mentally call for his son. Ahura resisted him, but that alone told Black Bolt that his son was unhurt, at least physically. Instead Black Bolt cracked open the door and felt along the wall for the light switch to flick it multiple times, indicating that he and Medusa were coming in.

Ahura did not have much in his room, only a bed and chest for his clothes. He did keep a few odds and ends from Attilan, primarily for decoration. All the items of sentimental value (pictures of his family, his favorite toy growing up, another picture of Norm and Verna Adams) he kept in the single drawer of his nightstand.

They looked around the room for a moment before finding Ahura sitting in the corner behind the open door, his legs pulled up and his face buried in his arms. The quiet hiccup noises coming from his direction told Medusa that he was still upset. She kneeled in front of her son and gently shook his elbow as Black Bolt sat on the bed. When Ahura raised his head, Black Bolt's heart tore in half with pity.

"Oh, my love," Medusa whispered into his head when Ahura practically fell into her lap, just as he did when the Council permanently released him or when Karnak and Gorgon brought him back from Earth. She let him cry into her shoulder, her baby boy once again, for as long as he needed. When his hiccupping sobs quieted, she pulled him backwards somewhat so he could see her.

" _Look at me, Ahura. What Agon said was true, the Council wanted me to destroy you before you were born. They feared that you would have the same power as your father, not because of your hearing. How could they have known that would happen, Ahura? You were three. And even if you were born deaf, it wouldn't have changed how much we love you."_ Ahura blinked more tears from his eyes and tried to look down at the ground but Medusa held his face in her hands to ensure he still paid attention. " _I wouldn't let them--look at me, son. I ran away with you so the Council would not harm you. I wanted you so much, my love. Your father and I both did. So much."_ Medusa did not realize until after she finished speaking that she was crying also. And it was true, she risked treason to keep Ahura safe before and after he was born.

Ahura nodded at her and sniffled, wiping down his face with a towel Black Bolt tossed to him. Agon's words still cut deeply, but his mother's assurance that he was wanted helped Ahura at least begin building an armor against them.

Medusa tapped his shoulder again. " _Do you want to be alone for now?_ " Ahura nodded to her. " _Very well then. Irelle asked about you; you may want to message her._ " Ahura used the towel to hide his blushing face, but Medusa pretended not to notice. She and Black Bolt left his room together and went to their own room to discuss what happened.

As soon as the door closed and Medusa turned around, Black Bolt's lips were against hers. It was a passionate kiss, desperate and possessive. He wanted to worship her and her strength, to be under her control, and she did not shy away from his sudden advances.

Where the surge of passion came from, Medusa could only guess. Based on Black Bolt's racing thoughts, she figured it was anger and relief and hurt clashing together that Black Bolt wanted to purge from himself. A stronger emotion, admiration for his wife, overrode everything else he felt in that moment.

She took her release from him, straddling his hips and controlling their movement. Black Bolt followed her wants and desires, increasing or decreasing his speed until she shuddered around him with her nails leaving imprints in his chest. He sat up, still inside her, and nuzzled her neck near her ear so she could feel his breath.

Looking around the room for a moment, her eyes fixed on an empty spot on the wall. She ran her fingers through Black Bolt's hair and urged him to look at the same spot. "Blackagar," she whispered. "Take me."

The intent was two-fold. Once Black Bolt realized both meanings, he mentally groaned, kissing her roughly and removing himself from inside her. She broke the kiss first, standing and tugging his hand towards the designated spot.

His lips met hers one again, fierce and needy at the same time as he pressed his broad body against hers into the wall. He touched her, nearly exploding at how wet she felt. Reading his thoughts, she muttered encouragements into his ear as he rut against her, stroking him until his legs threatened to become liquid. "Now, Blackagar, take me like this."

She didn't need to tell him a second time. He lifted her, relying on Medusa to guide him between her legs once again. As soon as they found the correct angle he thrust home, setting a rough and fast pace. He knew he would not last long like this, he could feel the coil begin to wind the moment he was inside her once again. The moans he drew from her were deep, not pleading but almost demanding that he finish inside her.

She could hear his thoughts as he thrust once, twice, then a third time burying himself as deeply as he could before he spilled, spots collecting at the edge of his vision. Black Bolt remained still for a few long moments, slowing his breathing and heart rate before pulling out entirely and carrying his wife back to bed. They were both spent, physically and emotionally drained from the days events and their love-making. The babies would wake soon enough but they had a few minutes to lay in the dark on top of their bed, Black Bolt's legs hanging off the side. Medusa ran her fingernails across the wispy hairs along his stomach that thickened near his groin. She curled into his side with her head against his pectoral.

"It's been a day, Blackagar," she whispered into the dark, feeling him nod. "How are you feeling?"

He mentally paused and tried to sort out his feelings. There were too many to name at the moment. _I haven't processed it all yet._

"Understandably so, it's quite a shock."

Black Bolt kissed the top of her head and held his face there. _Let's just not think about it right now. All of that is outside our room, in here it's only us._

They lay in silence once again until Medusa heard one of the twins stirring. They typically left the nursery door cracked so they could hear when the babies woke. Once one twin began fussing, the other was not far behind.

Black Bolt internally groaned. _I'm up, I'm up._. He dressed himself once again and left their room, not really dragging his feet but definitely being pulled by the allure of going back to bed. From their bedroom Medusa could hear her husband click his tongue at their children to calm them, smiling as their whines ceased and turned to happy chatter. Black Bolt must've been making faces at the twins or gently danced around with them as they squealed and giggled from the nursery into the living room. Despite the terrible start to their morning, Medusa would not change a thing.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, so I wrote the majority of this chapter, but many thanks to steeeeeeeeeeeb, as I wouldn't have gotten anywhere with this chapter without his help.

"You know I could've gotten out myself, Blackagar. No need for you to come down here and 'bust me out,' as one of the humans said. I could've just controlled one of the attendants to let me out, you know. But this is more fun, I suppose, pulling you away from your wife and children." Maximus had been mumbling into Black Bolt's ear from the moment he exited the holding cell until now as Black Bolt filled out his brother's release paperwork. He had to start over once; Maximus distracted him so much Black Bolt did not realize he was filling out the paperwork in Tilanese. That finally done, he nodded to the humans watching them, grabbed Maximus by the upper arm and marched him from the building, all without looking directly at his brother. A condition of Maximus' release from human police custody was that Black Bolt himself had to take responsibility for him, and ensure he didn't cause another public disturbance as he had earlier that day, nearly starting a riot in Times Square. Blackagar grimaced. As if he didn't have enough to concern him, running the Quiet Room, parenting three children, trying to adjust to his father being back in his life (he was nowhere near to adjusting to that yet) and now he had to be Maximus' minder as well?! That also meant, he realized abruptly, stopping dead in his tracks, that Agon and Maximus would be living in the same dwelling. And Maximus didn't even know yet that Agon was truly alive. How would he react when he learned that his 'ghost' was not a figment of his diseased mind? How would _Agon_  react to seeing Maximus again?

Maximus, of course, noticed his sudden freeze, and smirked, raising a brow. "What's wrong, big brother? Only just realized that you've got to have me underfoot indefinitely now?"

Black Bolt frowned. Should he tell Maximus about Agon now, or would it be better to leave it until Medusa could translate for him? Or, perhaps, even wait until his brother saw their father-- he stopped that thought in its tracks. That would be a disaster. The trouble was, he could see no way of handling this matter that would _not_  end badly. Shaking his head, he decided it would be best to get Maximus to the Quiet Room and out of the public eye before telling him anything, so whatever breakdown Maximus might have would not be in public. He resumed walking, pulling Maximus along with him. They walked the several blocks back to the bar, and Black Bolt texted Flagman to make sure Agon was not in sight when they entered, if that were at all possible. (He doubted it would be, but it didn't hurt to try.)

Reaching the Quiet Room, he none too gently shoved Maximus inside, grateful that at this time of day, the bar was relatively quiet. Flagman half-ran over to meet them, looking worried. Black Bolt raised a brow in question- just as Agon burst into view, his face blazing with anger, the Historikon device in his hands. His gaze locked on Maximus, and Black Bolt just _knew_  that there was another rant pending. Especially if Agon had been using the Historikon to look up what Maximus had been doing these past three decades...

Maximus, meanwhile, had gone white as a sheet. He began trembling, shaking his head in denial. "No. No no no. You're not here."

"I most certainly am." Agon's voice was tightly controlled, but clearly full of rage. "And you can desist with your cowering, mentally unstable _act_. I didn't believe it when you were sixteen, and I don't believe it now." He took a step closer to Maximus, who backed up, inching sideways as if he would hide behind Black Bolt.

"And do _not_  hide behind your brother. _Face me._ " Agon moved closer, so Maximus had little choice but to look at him. "I know _exactly_  what you have been up to all these years, all the trouble you've caused. If it had been up to me, you would have been executed for your crimes long ago. _EXPLAIN YOURSELF!_ "

Black Bolt stood where he was, rigidly. He was torn- he fully understood his father's anger, he'd felt such things himself with Maximus on more than one occasion, but on the other hand, Maximus was not of sound mind, and could not give the answers Agon wanted.

Maximus gripped Black Bolt's forearm as if that would keep him grounded and sure of what was real, continuously shaking his head. "This isn't real, Blackagar, none of this is real. He's not here, you killed him, you killed both of them, that was your fault, all of it was your fault, he can't be alive." To Black Bolt, everything Maximus said ran together in a continuous sentence.

Agon rolled his eyes, setting down the Historikon, reaching forward and grasping Maximus by the shoulders. "Enough of this nonsense. Look at _me_ , and stop this pretense of being crazed!"

Maximus' eyes bugged when Agon- the 'ghost'- made physical contact with him, and he flung his arms up, pushing his father away and backing up to a wall, sinking to his knees, curling into a ball, covering his ears, screwing his eyes shut and muttering to himself. "Not real not here not happening", amid other, utterly incoherent phrases. The talking was incessant. Maximus didn't even pause to breathe, rocking back and forth as if trying to comfort himself.

Black Bolt closed his eyes for a long minute, well aware that the few patrons in the bar were staring. _Why me?_  Feeling someone brush past him, he opened his eyes to see Ahura walking slowly towards Maximus, sitting cross-legged at his side, placing a hand on his shoulder and just waiting quietly for his uncle to calm down. Unsure that this was wise, (and wondering when and how Ahura had got wind of a problem down here) Black Bolt called into Ahura's mind.

_'Ahura, why have you come downstairs? You shouldn't be seeing this-'_

' _I came to ask permission to go into the city- the humans' city.'_ Ahura replied telepathically, blushing slightly. _'It's Irelle's birthday next week, and I wanted to get her- and Treste- something to mark the occasion._ ' Ahura looked at Maximus. _'But then I saw Grandfather yelling, and Uncle Maximus getting.... upset. I'll stay with him until he settles down.'_

Frowning at this idea, but seeing no better choice- Maximus _did_  respond well to Ahura, sometimes, and he was harmless enough, cowering as he was right now- Black Bolt gestured to Flagman to come over and keep an eye on them, simultaneously calling to Medusa in his mind, so she could be his mouthpiece to Agon yet again, while also seizing Agon's upper arm and hauling him out of the main room, into an empty conference room so they could speak privately when Medusa joined them. She would have to bring the twins, which would make things awkward, but at least it should keep this discussion from degenerating into a shouting match, if the little ones were here.

As soon as the door to the conference room closed behind them, Agon pulled his arm out of Black Bolt's grasp, and glared at him. "I may have agreed to do as you asked in order to stay here, Blackagar, but I will _not_  have you humiliating me that way in public. Hauling me off as if _I_  am the one in the wrong, while Maximus makes an imbecile of himself and plays on your sympathies by feigning that he is unwell!"

Black Bolt shook his head, wishing Medusa was already here so he could explain that Maximus' problems were not an act, but he doubted Agon would listen right now anyway.

"No?" Agon retorted. "Oh, don't tell me you actually _believe_  your brother's nonsense! He used to play games like this when he was an adolescent, you know. It's just a way of getting attention."

Black Bolt tensed. Maximus had shown signs of psychiatric issues before Agon had been taken captive by the Kree, all those years ago? But, then, why hadn't help been sought for him? Why was his father so certain it was all an act on Maximus' part? Especially after what he had just seen..... Black Bolt knew that Maximus could and did sometimes make out that his problems were worse than they were, to minimize punishment, but for Agon to believe the whole thing was an act.... No. No-one could feign problems like Maximus', not to this extent.

Agon opened his mouth to say something else, but Black Bolt cut him off, using two gestures from the earliest form of his own sign language, sure that his father would remember them- slicing his hand through the air to tell Agon to stop speaking, then holding a hand out, palm facing outward, meaning 'wait'. Much to his relief, it was at that moment that Medusa slipped into the room, cradling both (sleeping) twins.

He informed her telepathically of the gist of the conversation, and as she nodded, they both turned to face Agon, determined to get some true answers as to when precisely Maximus had first shown signs of illness and why, now, having seen Maximus' condition for himself, Agon was so sure that it was all a trick.

If Maximus truly had shown signs of mental illness over thirty years ago, why had no healers ever been informed, and why had nothing been done to help him?

 


	10. Chapter 10

Black Bolt plucked his sleeping daughter from her mother's arms and hoisted her up to his shoulder. Anora made a face suggesting she did not approve of being shifted but quickly dropped her face into her father's shoulder once again to continue her nap. Black Bolt was proud of her, as she slept like a stone and rarely woke mid-nap. Daryn would wake for the smallest of sounds, but Anora was a champion sleeper.

She most likely would have slept through Agon's latest tirade, but Black Bolt worried more about waking Daryn. Even though the baby's stomach issues were healed, he was still conditioned to hate sleeping on his back which meant carrying him until he was too deeply asleep to notice. Medusa spoke for her husband in a hushed and clipped tone.

"You _knew_ Maximus is ill, and you did nothing?"

Agon clenched his fists together and struggled to keep his voice down. "No, his act is for attention. In fact it was your aunt and uncle who enabled him the most, Blackagar. Mander and Azur are responsible for giving in to his charade."

Black Bolt merely stood still, waiting for further explanation. He could probably find the incident in the Historikon if he tried hard enough, but after thirty years of dealing with Maximus and his madness, he believed his father owed an explanation.

The incident in question happened a few weeks after Maximus turned 16, around the time preparations began for Black Bolt to leave the chamber. Agon remembered the night, he thought about it often in the mines but it only served to aggravate him when he thought on it.

"Your brother woke your aunt and uncle in the middle of the night, talking incessantly about something he learned in a lesson and keeping them awake most of the night." Agon looked to the floor as he fumed. "They contacted me at four in the morning to claim Maximus, but I could see it in his face, Blackagar; he reveled in the attention. Azur practically infantilized him."

Daryn squeaked and shifted against Medusa's shoulder but remained asleep. She bounced him slightly and pat his back. "What were their concerns? What did he do to keep them awake?"

"He rambled on about injustice and our system for putting Inhumans in their designated positions. Maximus thought it unfair that there were Inhumans relegated to the mines." Agon pulled the head seat out of a long table and sat down, the imagery of being the leader seated at the head not lost on Black Bolt or Medusa. "Mander said he paced and talked for hours about it, non stop."

Medusa's braid curled and uncurled as Agon spoke, indicating her irritation. She actually remembered that lesson, the way Maximus shouted at their tutor about the system and called him an old fool. "Why would you ignore such symptoms? That isn't normal behavior."

"He wanted the attention. It was near the time Blackagar left his chamber, the attention and preparation was given to Blackagar. Maximus was always a jealous person; the focus being on Blackagar for the days preceding his release aggravated him." Agon folded his hands as if that were the final say on the subject. "How you've allowed him to live is beyond me, Blackagar. He's claimed hallucinations and demons, stolen and destroyed property, left countless dead."

Medusa and Black Bolt exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. They were quiet while Black Bolt gathered his thoughts.

"Why did Mander and Azur allow this to remain secret? Someone could have helped him much earlier."

"I ordered them to remain silent about the matter. The Council already felt I had failed my first son, I did not need their condescension a second time."

The three were quiet once again. Black Bolt could hear through the door that business was increasing as the afternoon wore on, but also that Maximus no longer raved. He telepathically checked in with Ahura who was still seated in the booth across from Maximus to keep an eye on him. Ahura reported back that Maximus continued to softly mumble but due to the increasing noise of the bar the ghost could not understand him and Ahura could not lip read him. At some point Maximus calmed enough to ask for a drink, so that was an improvement.

Black Bolt scrubbed his face with his hand and kicked at a seat so he could sit across from his father with Medusa standing behind him, just like they used to do when seated at the throne.

"Father, no one who attempts to overthrow Attilan as often as Maximus did is of sound mind."

Agon grunted a sarcastic chuckle at his son. He was still growing used to the fact that when Medusa spoke, it was his son's words. Black Bolt continued.

"On one occasion we asked Sterilon if there was something he could do for Maximus. He was able to enter his mind; what he saw there was not related to any power Maximus had, but a mental disease. Psychic Inhumans have confirmed it, multiple times."

The elder Inhuman clenched his jaw, frustrated with being unable to come up with a response to refute his son's claim. Maximus was always a strange boy, typically very quiet but then he had times of reckless manic energy that Agon did not know what to do with. Agon always chalked it up to being a growing boy or being the second heir to the throne, which meant Maximus had fewer responsibilities than Blackagar. Maximus was also an angry boy, but Agon never understood why.

"It in no way excuses the things he's done, Blackagar."

"It never has; he's undergone the consequences of his decisions, but his lucidity has been questionable as of late. We cannot punish someone only for being mentally unstable. Until he does something to warrant punishment, he is free to do as he pleases."

Before Ahura was born, Black Bolt would most likely have shipped Maximus off to a cosmic prison meant for the worst criminals in the galaxy. But seeing his son suffer the effects of the Council's torture, the anger Ahura held and the behaviors that stemmed from it, Black Bolt did not have the heart to punish Maximus solely for being "the Mad." In thinking over the past few years, once Black Bolt changed his mindset from punishment to rehabilitation, Maximus had fewer negative behaviors.

Agon stood once again and moved behind the chair. "I need time to process this." Black Bolt nodded and stood as well, shifting Anora to his other shoulder. She left a small patch of drool on his shirt, which he often found funny: a king of Attilan would never be seen with baby spit on his clothing. And yet here he was, tossing shirts covered in baby food into a hamper at night to be washed over the weekend. It was an extremely human behavior, but one he did not know how to correct. In Attilan all of their laundry was taken care of for them.

Agon remained in the conference area when Black Bolt indicated they needed to take the twins back upstairs to finish their naps. Afterward they would need to be fed anyway, and since they began eating jar baby food he found he liked to help feed his children. He had their undivided attention during that time, so it was great for bonding with them. 

They head upstairs followed by Ahura and Maximus, who still seemed pale and shaken. Ahura invited Maximus to rest in his room, a space that was not overwhelming or full of people, and it would get him out of the eye of the public. Ahura pointed to the door that was his room, and Maximus head straight for it to sleep. When he last slept for more than an hour undisturbed was anyone's guess.

Medusa handed Daryn to his big brother so she could begin making lunch for the family. The shift woke the baby but Daryn kept his head down as if debating whether he wanted to continue sleeping. His big blue eyes scanned the room, blinking heavily and not fully awake just yet. Black Bolt plopped himself on the couch next to his oldest son in an ungainly fashion. It was unseemly for a royal to sit in such a slovenly way, but he was too tired to care. Daryn grinned a gummy, toothless smile at his father and then used Ahura's shoulder to rub his tired eyes.

As soon as Daryn squeaked, Anora blinked twice and popped her head up in confusion. When she initially fell asleep she did so in her crib, so how she moved to the living room confused her. She rarely woke upset, only when she could not find her twin. Anora looked up once again at who held her, then somewhat slapped at her father's face and pulled at his cheek. Although both twins had the dexterity to grab things they wanted, their grip capabilities were either 'not at all' or 'all available strength' with no in-between. More than once one of the twins left scratch marks on the other's face.

With both babies awake, Medusa was less concerned about making noise in the kitchen. She hummed to herself as she cooked, a skill she was improving though she had her share of mishaps. In Attilan all the royal family's meals were prepared for them, so she never had reason to learn how to cook. Once she left the city and moved into the apartment, she talked with the Quiet Room's kitchen staff about simple recipes and techniques she could replicate in their small apartment kitchen. So far she only burned one dish beyond edibility.

With lunch prepared, she set out plates and silverware to allow her men to feed themselves. From the kitchen she could hear the babies "chatter" at one another and Ahura's deep chuckle. Medusa called for Black Bolt to place them in their high chairs at the table so they could eat as well.

With the little ones situated and demanding to be fed by slapping at the plastic tables, Ahura pulled his chair in front of them so he could see both at the same time. Medusa adored watching her oldest son interact with her younger children; she worried constantly throughout her pregnancy that Ahura would feel rejected or ignored but the young man never really indicated such. Instead he seemed to enjoy having a little brother and sister. In addition, Ahura could make them belly-laugh easily which was fun to watch.

The twins looked at their big brother expectantly, Daryn gnawing on his own fingers. Ahura tickled Anora's chin first, then Daryn's, feeling their squeal through the vibrations in their throats. When they were awake and excited, he waved at them so their attention would be on his hands. " _Hey, where's mama? Show me mama."_

Neither twin pointed, but they both looked around the room for Medusa. When Anora found her, she kicked her feet in excitement. The twins were unable to sign, they lacked the dexterity to do so, but they appeared to recognize a few of Ahura's signs. Daryn _tried_ to sign; he flapped his hands around at times, almost as if it were the gestural version of his verbal babbling. 

_"There she is, there's mama. Where's da?"_ From his seat on the other side of the table, Black Bolt waved at his younger children, then stopped mid-wave as a knock came from the door. Ahura stopped when the babies looked to the door as well.

Standing at the top step was Agon, his hands behind his back. He appeared uncomfortable at being in the tight hallway.

"Blackagar, this fell from your woman's pocket downstairs. I've come to return it to you." From behind his back, Agon held one of the baby's chewing cloths, which Medusa originally held in the pocket of her skirt but failed to notice its absence. Black Bolt held the cloth for a moment and, just as Agon nodded and turned to head back downstairs, he tapped his father's shoulder and opened the door further to invite him inside.

Agon looked up at his son, then into the apartment. Tentatively he stepped inside, hands still clasped behind his back, and stood stock still as he scanned the room. Ahura, still miffed at their previous interaction, returned his attention to his siblings. He tapped the plastic tables attached to the high chairs. "Noh-uh, Day-een," he grunted at them to make them look in his direction once again. Medusa handed him two bowls and a single spoon to help feed them, though as soon as the bowls hit the plastic tray the twins reached into them to play in the mushy food. 

"Would you care to join us, Agon? There is plenty to eat, and we can make room." Medusa pulled out a chair from the table, purposefully choosing one to the side and not at either end. In reality, the end chairs were seldom used by anyone; it was easier for Ahura to lipread when he sat across from both his parents so they typically used the seats to the side. 

Agon glanced at her and then to Black Bolt before he slowly made his way to the table and sat at the indicated seat. The twins eyed him with curiosity but were more focused on their food and playing in it. When Ahura did not move fast enough in feeding them, they chirped at him to get his attention although Ahura could not hear it. Medusa wondered when her youngest children would understand their brother could not actually hear them. It only happened once so far, but she remembered Anora squeaking at her big brother to get his attention then throwing a massive tantrum when he unintentionally ignored her. 

Medusa set a plate in front of Agon and explained what was on it. Their diet remained largely vegetarian but Medusa did incorporate more human foods such as rice and beans, or similar items that were not available in Attilan. The Quiet Room's chefs created dishes that included meat but they were scarce on the simple menu.

Every few minutes Ahura turned around to eat, ignoring the stares of his grandfather. Agon began eating the fruit that was familiar to him before trying the strange rice-like substance on his plate. After Ahura paused his own meal to turn around and continue feeding the twins, Agon squinted at his grandson's back and leaned towards Black Bolt.

"The boy appears to be like any other Inhuman," he whispered. "He seems fine until he begins speaking."

Medusa crossed her ankles below the table and tightly braided her hair to keep from shouting at her father-in-law. "He _is_ like any other Inhuman. And he doesn't speak often, sometimes he doesn't realize he's making any sound at all. I imagine you would be used to a son that doesn't speak." It was something of a jab back at Agon for insulting her son in his ignorance, so she would insult his. 

"How old is he?"

"He became seventeen a few weeks ago, after the twins were born. He's still young yet, and he is behind in some areas of school but he's catching up. Ahura has only been with us intermittently."

Agon's face appeared to disapprove of Ahura verbalizing anything. He had difficulty understanding his grandson and only knew a few of Blackagar's gestures. Ahura appeared to have an entire system of signs and gestures. "What happened to him? To damage him."

The way Agon phrased his questions kept Medusa from lashing out at him, as he sounded genuinely curious rather than spiteful. "We were attacked by the Skrulls and Black Bolt destroyed one with his voice; Ahura was on the other side of the door the Skrull tried to enter. Black Bolt's voice destroyed his cochleas, though his left ear has more residual hearing than right. He was barely three or so at the time, he no longer remembers sound in the traditional sense."

"Why did you only have him sporadically?"

Medusa looked to her son, sadly, reminiscing on the years of his life that she missed. "He was taken from me by your Council. They feared he would inherit Black Bolt's power and be unable to control it at birth. We didn't get him back until he was two, then the Skrull attack happened. They forced him through the mists when he was eight, then they sent him to Earth without our knowledge. Gorgon and Karnak returned him to me when he was almost 13, but then the Council drugged him, basically made him an invalid."

All done thanks to Agon's Council. If Agon were around, the Council would not have dared to touch his grandson. Even though Blackagar was exposed to the mist as an embryo, his destructive voice did not appear for months after his birth. Ahura was not exposed until he was eight, there was plenty of time to ensure he did not inherit his father's power. And yet Agon suspected the Council _did_ know that Ahura did not inherit his father's voice. If he remembered his Council members correctly, some were ruthless.

Ahura turned around to eat once again and stopped when he noticed his family looking at him. _What? What is everyone looking at?_

 _Nothing, my love, just catching your grandfather up on things he's missed,_ Medusa replied. _Are the children finished?_

Ahura tilted the bowls of baby food to glance in them. _Daryn is, Anora is being slow._ He tried holding a spoon of food up to her mouth but Anora shook her head and pushed his hand away, preferring to dig at her food herself. _Fine, feed yourself then._

They finished lunch quietly save for the babies jabbering. Agon appeared to relax; he even waved at Daryn when he caught his grandson staring at him. The babies favored Medusa's line so it was difficult to see himself in his youngest grandchildren, especially with their orange hair. 

With both babies finished, Ahura turned around once again to see if he could make his brother and sister laugh. Both were ticklish, especially along their rib cages. Instead Ahura made silly faces at them, then pretended to sneeze or shook his shaggy hair at them. Within a few minutes both babies were giggling at him and squealing for more of their brother's antics. Daryn laughed so hard his little face turned red.

The food all but forgotten, Agon felt a deep remorse in his chest as he watched his grandchildren. He realized he never had any moments such as this with his own sons; in fact once Blackagar was placed in his small soundproof incubation machine as an infant, Agon never held his oldest son again. Maximus preferred not to be held as soon as he began crawling, something unusual that probably indicated some kind of madness even then. He remembered their births and being with Rynda the days following, but he was largely absent afterward. Blackagar was raised by scientists and machines, Maximus was raised by attendants. 

Seeing his son have a family of his own made him ache, guilty that he gave up Blackagar so easily to the scientists. Agon could have fought them, he could have argued against locking his son away in an immobile chamber, but he didn't. He stayed quiet and acquiescent to the Council. In hindsight, it was all a mistake.

Agon realized then that he loved his grandchildren immensely, but hated that he was not there to watch them grow. He didn't even watch his own son grow, merely kept up with him via updates on his height and weight. What hurt the most was that he had no way to fix what he did in the past. 

But he could end the cycle now. Since Agon hurt Ahura's feelings once, he didn't blame the boy for being weary around him. Maybe he could spend some individual time with his grandson, Agon considered, then realized he would be unable to communicate. The boy used some kind of apparition the other day to follow their conversation, maybe that would help. Or maybe Agon could learn a few of Ahura's gestures, like he did with Blackagar. It was a conundrum Agon needed time to consider.

Once the babies were clean and ready to be let down from their seats, Agon tapped Black Bolt's forearm. "Can I hold one of them?"

Black Bolt paused, genuinely surprised Agon would even ask. He gestured for Ahura to unhook Anora from her seat (since she was generally the more outgoing of the two) and to pass the baby to her grandfather. Anora looked at her grandfather with a blank face, then to Black Bolt and Medusa as if they would explain what was happening. "Hello, little one," Agon choked, barely above a whisper. "I'm your grandfather." He cleared his threat and shifted somewhat. "Is this--am I holding her correctly?"

Black Bolt helped his father move the baby into a position he knew she liked. Daryn preferred to be cuddled and snuggled close while Anora wanted to sit in such a way that she could see everything. Of the two, she was definitely not shy.

"There, that's better. Are you a good girl? Are you--oh, no, don't pull on grandfather's beard, that's not polite." Agon shook his head to make Anora let go, but the baby girl only found the movement funny. She grinned up at him and tugged harder until Black Bolt reached across and unclenched her fist, replacing it with the chew cloth from earlier. Immediately she stuck the cloth in her mouth to gum on it.

Daryn did not appear to enjoy being so far apart from his sister. He squeaked his disapproval and held up his arms for Black Bolt to hold him so they would be closer together once again. Agon smiled at both of them as Black Bolt plucked Daryn from the chair. "They are quite demanding, aren't they?"

Black Bolt nodded and set Daryn on his lap. The baby reached for the chew cloth that Anora held then became upset when she did not let go. Medusa rolled her eyes. "We have multiple cloths for either of them to chew, but he always wants what his sister has."

Black Bolt held his son up to his shoulder to soothe him. When that did not work, he asked Ahura to lay out their blanket so they could play on their tummies in the living room. Since Daryn could slowly drag himself across the floor, he most likely would not stay on the blanket for long. 

Anora grew jealous of her twin and stretched out her arms so Black Bolt would take her to the blanket as well. Agon stood to pass the baby over then went to the front door once again, preparing to leave. Black Bolt met him at the door. "Well, thank you for lunch, my son."

Black Bolt nodded and smiled at his father, mentally speaking through Medusa. _You will join us again?_

Agon looked back to Medusa and Ahura for their approval, then nodded. "If you'll have me."

_Anytime, father. Welcome home._


	11. Chapter 11

Agon held the tiny implant steady as Maximus worked rapidly on programming in the last features on this second implant, then straightened up, smiling. Agon returned the gesture, slowly. After their disastrous reunion, he'd spent weeks slowly trying to reach out to his second son, wanting to try and bond with him, but it had proved difficult, as he had no idea what Maximus did in his free time (besides attempt to ruin Blackagar's life.) He had remembered that Maximus enjoyed inventing things, and that had given him this new idea, a surprise for young Ahura. He was honestly surprised that neither Blackagar or Medusalith had thought of this before (neither had any of the scientists on Attilan, apparently), but with these implants now ready to be used, his grandson would be able to hear like anyone else, and be free of his problem.

Agon couldn't wait to tell him. He was sure the boy would be thrilled to be normal, to not have to use those signs to communicate the whole time.

Maximus, however, was frowning. Agon arched a brow. "What?"

"You haven't told Black Bolt and Medusa about this, have you?"

"No, why would I? The surprise is for Ahura. We can implant these for him, and then he can surprise his parents with the news."

Maximus still looked worried, chewing his lip. Agon sighed. "What is it?"

"Nothing, nothing! Just... I hope you're right and Ahura won't be offended."

Agon frowned. "Offended? Why? Because I'm giving him the chance to be like everyone else?" He couldn't understand what Maximus meant- why wouldn't Ahura want to be normal?

Maximus shook his head. "You're right, you always are. I'm sure he'll like them. You can be the one to tell him."

Agon nodded, taking the miniscule implants, pocketing them and going in search of Ahura. He knew Maximus was trailing behind him but took no notice. When not working on these implants, Agon had been trying to teach himself some of Ahura's sign language, ad he ran through the signs in his mind, wanting to be able to tell Ahura about the gift he had for him without involving a translator.

He found Ahura donning his jacket, apparently about to go out again. The boy raised a brow when Agon approached, and his eyes widened in disbelief when Agon began signing.

Ahura watched in shock as his grandfather began signing. It was awkward and clumsy, but Agon was using _his_  language. He was stunned- and pleased.

"I have surprise you." Agon signed.

A smile began to grow on Ahura's face. Agon grinned back, taking the implants from his pocket and handing them to Ahura.

"These... you hear and you normal like family."

Ahura froze as Agon finished signing. His grandfather was still smiling, and watching Ahura, as if waiting for a response.

Ahura looked down at the two metal devices in the palm of his hand. His heart was thudding, his face set in anger. Hearing devices. All the weeks Agon had spent here, even learning Ahura's only language, and his grandfather still thought he needed help to be 'normal'. That Ahura needed, _wanted_ , to be 'fixed'.

Narrowing his eyes, Ahura looked up at Agon, scowling. He saw Maximus hovering behind Agon and tensed further- had his uncle _helped_  with this?! Very slowly, he turned his hand, dropping the implants to the floor, and crushed them beneath his foot.

Ahura called one of his ghosts to speak for him, since Agon most likely would not understand him when he used extensive sign language. The ghost spoke in the same order Ahura signed. "Myself normal. Mom dad accept me. Family accept me. You alone not. I hate you!" Ahura then turned and raced from the building, tears burning in his eyes. The door slammed shut behind him.

Agon blinked in shock as Ahura ran off, face twisted with misery and anger. He'd only wanted to _help_.... why had Ahura taken it so badly? He heard Maximus laughing behind him and turned to face him, eyes narrowed. "You find this funny?"

"Mm-hmm. I could have told you Ahura hates being thought of as different, but you wouldn't listen to me anyway. You never did before, and you won't now. By the way, in case you missed it, he said he hates you." Maximus sounded utterly gleeful to impart that news.

Agon winced. Why was it, whenever he tried to do something to help his family, it backfired? He always seemed to get things wrong...

Blackagar and Medusalith would be livid that he had upset Ahura this badly. Agon looked at the closed door. Where had the boy even gone? If he could tell Blackagar where Ahura was, at least, it might decrease his son's anger with him...

 

* * *

 

Ahura moved through the streets as quickly as he could, just wanting to be far away from the Quiet Room- and his STUPID grandfather- as was possible right now. He scrubbed at his face as he walked, struggling to get his emotions under control. He had planned to pay a surprise visit to Irelle in New Attilan, and decided that, despite his current mood, he still would. At least she would listen to him, and understand.

Pulling out his phone, he continued the texting conversation he'd been having with her all morning, managing a slight grin as he imagined her expression when he showed up on her doorstep.

' **Frank and Treste still shopping?'**

His phone vibrated with her reply seconds later.

' **Yes. Bored sigh. U?'**

' **Same. Also, annoyed.'**

**'Y?'**

**'Grandfather still being idiot. Made hearing aids so I could be 'normal'.'**

**'But u already normal.'**

**'Not according to grandfather.'**

**'Then he's dumb. U sure he's genius? Doesn't sound like it.'**

Ahura managed a smile. **'Dk.'**

**'Ignore him. Nothing wrong with u.'**

**'Thanx.'**

**'Np. I like u the way u are.** '

Ahura's face reddened. **'U are amazing 2.'**

**'Thank u :) '**

By now, he was crossing the bridge (recently constructed on Iso's orders) from New York into New Attilan. He walked faster once there, moving swiftly towards the tower that held Frank, Treste and Irelle's apartment.

His phone vibrated. ' **Did ur phone battery die?'**

He ignored this text, as he was already climbing the stairs that led to Irelle's home.

Another text from Irelle. **'Ahura? Y u not replying? Worried now....'**

He was at her door. Smirking, he texted a reply. **'U have a visitor.'**

**'What?'**

He knocked on her door, grinning when she flung it open. Her jaw dropped. He summoned a ghost so he could hear her words and reply. "Surprise!" Again, the ghost spoke as he signed.

Irelle blinked several times, and laughed. "Come in, I'll show you around."

Ahura didn't hesitate, grinning. After a brief tour of the apartment, Ahura paused in the living room, noticing a television and DVD player mounted on the wall. He pointed and raised a brow, surprised to see the human device in New Attilan.

Irelle nodded, guessing what he meant. "Yeah, Frank insisted we have one of these. It's not so bad, actually. He's got a good collection of human movies, some of them are really good."

"Watch?" Ahura signed, echoed by the ghost.

Irelle shrugged. "Sure. You pick a movie, I'll go and make some popcorn. Apparently it's a tradition that we eat popcorn while watching a movie." She went into the kitchen while Ahura knelt next to the stack of DVDS, trying to find a good one. He found a boxed set of movies- the 'Hobbit' trilogy, whatever that was. He took out the first one, 'An Unexpected Journey' and held it up for Irelle to see when she returned.

She grinned as she set the bowl of popcorn down on the coffee table. "Good idea, I've been meaning to watch those. Did you know they were based on a book?"

Ahura shook his head.

"Yeah. Human critics tend to complain because the film differs to the book, but I don't see why that's a problem- it can't be exactly the same!" Irelle switched on the television and started the DVD, switching on the captions, before joining Ahura on the couch, his ghost leaning on the couch behind them so it could keep track of the movie's dialogue.

The movie began playing, and Ahura found it hard to focus, suddenly _very_  aware of how close he was to Irelle, side by side on this small sofa. He tried to keep his eyes on the screen, but he kept looking at her hand, lying inches away from his, and the smell of Irelle's perfume or shampoo or whatever was distracting him constantly. Whatever it was, he liked it.

Irelle kept casting glances at him as well, and colour rose in her cheeks. "You like this?" she signed, intending that he comment on the movie. His eyes never wavered from hers.

"Yes, I like this." His heart beating like a hummingbird's, he leaned closer to Irelle, til he could feel her breath on his face. He hesitated, waiting to see if she moved away.

She didn't. His lips brushed hers, and his eyes drifted shut, lost in the sensation of the kiss. Her hand slid into his, fingers interlacing, as the kiss deepened-

And Ahura's phone buzzed and vibrated, making them both jump and spring apart.

Ahura scowled, wanting to smash the damned device, but he nonetheless took it out to read the text. _This better be urgent_. He read the message and groaned. _Mother._

' **Ahura, where are you? Your grandfather says you were upset, but won't say why. What's going on?'**  
  
Ahura rolled his eyes, So Agon hadn't told them? Oh well, he'd deal with that later, he was busy right now. He quickly typed a reply. **'I went to see Irelle and get away for a while. Frank is here. So I'm safe.'** He showed Irelle the message before sending it and she giggled. Obviously, Frank McGee _wasn't_  here, but if Ahura's parents knew that, that he was alone with Irelle in her apartment, he'd be told to go home.

There was a pause before Medusa texted a reply. ' **Alright. See you later.** '

Ahura turned his phone off, feeling pleased that he'd fooled his parents and gotten a chaperone-free date with Irelle, then settled back down next to her, wondering if he should resume the kiss. It _had_  been amazing...

Irelle, however, seemed to want to watch the movie now. Ahura stifled a sigh- but quickly cheered up when she snuggled next to him, her head almost resting on his shoulder, molding into his side. Acting on instinct, he slid an arm round her shoulders, and they watched the rest of the movie in each others' embrace.

 

* * *

 

Medusa quickly passed on Ahura's explanation to Black Bolt, a slight frown on her face. Ahura hadn't said _why_  he had been upset but at least he was safe with Frank keeping an eye on him and Irelle-

Black Bolt tapped her on the shoulder, his eyes fixed on a table across the room. Puzzled, Medusa followed her husband's gaze, then her face hardened.

Frank McGee and Treste, Irelle's sister, were at the table, having lunch.

Ahura- their 17 year old son- had lied to them. And was currently alone in an apartment with his teenage girlfriend.

Black Bolt, without even hesitating, beckoned Frank over.The Nuhuman looked confused, but came to see what was going on. He glanced from Black Bolt to Medusa, slightly wary. "Is something wrong?"

Medusa spoke for Black Bolt, as always. "We were just wondering when you gained the ability to be in two places at once."

Frank looked utterly baffled. "I'm sorry?"

Black Bolt took Medusa's phone and showed Frank the text Ahura had sent, not five minutes ago.

Comprehension dawned on Frank's face, followed by an extremely paternal look of anger. "They're ALONE in the apartment?!" He took a deep breath, arranging his face into a calmer expression, though his eyes were menacing. "Can I leave Treste here for a while?"

Black Bolt nodded, then arched a brow.

"You do remember it's our place to discipline our son, don't you?" Medusa translated.

"Yeah, I get that. But if a 17-year-old kid is lying to his parents and sneaking into my home to hang out _alone_  with a 16 year old girl that I'm the guardian of.... then it's my right to show him why that's a bad idea, don't you agree?" Frank's tone did not bode well for Ahura. "I promise I won't do any real damage. Just going to scare him out of trying this again."

Medusa and Black Bolt nodded. it did make sense that Frank was protective of the girls that were now his charge. And Ahura deserved a shock for lying and sneaking around. Still, Medusa mused as Frank left, his 'officer of the law' expression on his face, she _really_  wouldn't want to be in Ahura's shoes when Frank got home...

 


	12. Chapter 12

Rila hated running late for assignments, especially regular ones that she really had no excuse for which to be late. She certainly left the apartment with plenty of time but her train ran late, then she was cornered once again for her appearance and made something of a spectacle. Her job as a sign language interpreter prior to encountering the Terrigen cloud was extremely visible and hearing people often watched her as she worked; now her soft purple skin attracted plenty of attention.

The recent surge of non-humans over the past few years made her more of an anomaly than the abomination televangelists made people like her out to be. But her appearance was striking, even for non-humans. When she woke from the cocoon her rounded ears became longer and pointed, her face became angular, and she even grew a few inches. Instead of brown, her eyes became a deep violet color and her purple skin gave her the appearance of a fairy. No wings, though. Damn.

Rila somewhat lucked into her current work, being the interpreter for the son of a king. After she was released from the interpreting agency she went to a new bar attached to Union Station, the Quiet Room, for a bite alone so she could wallow in self-pity for losing her job. From there she met Crystal, the sister-in-law of the king who was something of a recruiter for those affected by the Terrigen cloud. Crystal introduced Rila to King Black Bolt, himself mute due to his own powers, and learned about Ahura. A few days later, and a substantial paycheck that floored her, Rila met Ahura during his first visit to the Quiet Room.

Ahura was a sweet boy; a bit impulsive, but Rila liked him. He resembled his father, tall and broad shouldered, and he certainly made Rila feel small despite the inches she gained in the cocoon. According to Crystal, and later Medusa when Rila finally met her, Ahura was the victim of circumstance and trauma which tore him away from his family for years at a time. That broke Rila's heart; her own parents were the only deaf members of their families, and in the case of her father, he was put dropped off at a Deaf school at age five without any clue where he was or why he was there. Rila's grandparents never learned to sign, so the relationships her parents had with them were practically non-existent.

Rila could tell that Medusa adored her son. Her signing was only based on what Ahura taught her so there were fundamentals Medusa lacked, but she at least made an effort to do so. King Black Bolt used his own signs that Rila occasionally understood, but not as well as she understood Ahura. It was a strange linguistic triangle the family found themselves in. Rila was curious which sign language their twin babies picked up first, or if they would somehow blend the two. If Rila ever went back to school she might consider writing a paper or something on it.

Today she was supposed to meet Ahura at the Quiet Room for one of his lessons. Even though Medusa could sign with her son, sometimes she was unable to do so with topics that were complex or in-depth, so Rila would interpret much of it for her. Medusa also had difficulty with spelling many of the Tilanese words in English, so Rila typically spelled them out phonetically unless the words were written down somewhere. She heard what Tilanese sounded like, Crystal and Medusa spoke it to each other almost exclusively, but since she had little experience with Attilan it was unlikely Rila could learn to speak Tilanese. From what she could gather, it was a very efficient language, with much being conveyed in very few words. That would require in-depth understanding and context, which Rila did not have.

On her way to the Quiet Room, her bag slung over her shoulder but bouncing around as she hustled along, Frank McGee nabbed her arm and turned her around entirely. He appeared to be fuming, stomping along the pavement with an angry expression hidden behind his sunglasses. "Nope, you're with me."

If Rila had not met him beforehand she would be terrified of him. Reader introduced Frank to her a few weeks ago and despite Frank being more blunt than a sledgehammer, Rila found she liked him. He was a genuine person, which Rila appreciated. "Where are we going? I have to interpret for the prince in a few minutes at the Quiet Room."

"Yeah you gotta interpret for him, but he ain't there. He's in my apartment with my daught--I mean, my charge. God only knows what they're doing. But he lied to his mom and dad to be there so I can only assume they're up to trouble. I'm gonna rough him up a bit."

Rila fought to stay in step with Frank. Frank was a bear of a man, with a huge stride that her shorter legs could not match. "You're not going to hurt him, I hope."

By now they'd reached the train station and stopped on the platform. Rila drew interested looks from others, but she ignored them. Frank stood with his hands on his hips but grinned at her. "No, not at all. Just put the fear of God into him."

As the train approached, Rila sent a quick text to Medusa to verify what Frank said. Reading over the details made her chuckle somewhat. Rila knew that Ahura was smitten with his girlfriend, and it appeared he thought he was being sneakier than he actually was. 

They got off at the nearest stop to New Attilan. Rila visited once beforehand, but since the initial introduction Crystal gave her, she did not have much of a reason to return. It was a beautiful place, but after living in New York all her life it almost seemed too pristine for her. After crossing the bridge and entering a large tower, she practically ran to keep up with Frank as he bounded up a few flights of steps towards his apartment. He unlocked the door and merely stood in the doorway for a moment, his hand on the knob.

Rila peeked under Frank's arm to see what he fumed at, and Rila clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. Irelle, Frank's adopted daughter, straddled Ahura's lap as they kissed with the messy passion of two teenagers hopelessly smitten with each other. The top of her blouse was undone, and from her vantage point Rila could see Ahura's shirt untucked and ruffled. Ahura held one hand on Irelle's hip, the other against her neck, and the moment it seemed Ahura moved his hand towards Irelle's chest Frank cleared his throat.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Irelle reacted first as Ahura's eyes were closed, but the second she turned away and practically fell off Ahura's lap he opened his eyes and struggled to find his composure. The young man grabbed a pillow from he couch and held it against his lap, burying his tomato red face into it. Irelle turned around to button her blouse once again and straighten up, her face equally as red.

"Frank! What are you doing here?! You weren't supposed to be home for a few hours," she whined, trying to make herself appear smaller. Rila interpreted what they said even though Ahura was not looking up yet, something she was trained to do when she interpreted for a student.

"I took your sister to the Quiet Room for lunch and your little boyfriend here texted his mom. He said I was here and you both were safe, but that was a lie. Hey," Frank barked at Ahura, yanking the pillow from his lap and forcing the young man to look at him. "You ain't getting out of this easy."

Ahura gaped at Frank, struggling to figure out what to say. He looked to Rila, somewhat shocked to see her. " _What are you doing here?_ "

Frank stood directly in front of Ahura to bear down on him, his fists on his hips again. "You don't get to ask questions right now, little man. What the hell did you two think you were doing? And whose idea was it to lie about where I was?"

The teens looked to each other. Irelle began to raise her hand as if she could redirect the heat from Ahura, but Ahura's hand shot up faster than she could stop him. " _Mine. It was all my idea._ ". That wasn't a lie; it was Ahura's idea to visit New Attilan and get away from his grandfather, and it was his idea to tell mom that Frank was there. The only thing that wasn't his idea was Irelle sitting against his lap, but he certainly didn't mind. " _Nothing! We watched a movie, that's all we did._ "

Anything Ahura said angered Frank further. "What I walked in on didn't _look_ like nothing!"

By then Ahura no longer needed the pillow on his lap. The teens weren't ready for sex, at least not mentally, but that didn't mean their bodies weren't. The way Irelle sat against Ahura's lap, her legs on either side of his hips, allowed her to feel Ahura's need against her own. Ahura hissed each time Irelle shuffled or moved, the friction against his shaft almost painful at times. He wanted to touch her, and he considered it, but he'd rather wait for Irelle to make that intention known. Later that night he would take care of himself when he had privacy, for now he just loved kissing her. 

He looked to Rila for any indication as to what he should do but found none. He still was not sure why she was there, beyond the obvious of interpreting for him. Wasn't he supposed to do his schoolwork later? Maybe that was it.

Frank pointed to both of them in turn. "You two get cleaned up," he barked. "We're going to talk to the King and Queen."

Ahura gulped and briefly froze. They weren't mom and dad in that moment, they were the King and Queen. Which meant they were _livid_ with him. 

But why couldn't he enjoy himself? The past month or so he'd been in trouble every five minutes it seemed, that wasn't fair. He certainly wasn't hurting anybody. Well, leaving the twins alone with Luna was a mistake, he would readily admit that now. But he just wanted _one_ uninterrupted date with Irelle. Their last one was intruded on by Grandfather. Before that it was his parents. It started to feel like they were out to sabotage his relationship with her. 

He stood and tucked his shirt back in then straightened out his disheveled hair. Irelle went to her room briefly to change into something more formal. The group left together and took the train back to Union Station; Ahura tried to hold Irelle's hand at one point but Frank gave him an angry look. 

Flagman met them at the door as he was organizing a new food shipment. "They're in the main office. Ahura do you want violets at your memorial this time? Or carnations?" Ahura ducked his head lower and shoved open the entrance, stomping his feet up the steps to the offices. 

Black Bolt sat at his desk, Medusa standing behind him. The seat he used at his desk had the same general shape as the throne he once occupied in Attilan, and he sat in it as such now. Two seats were placed in front of the desk for Ahura and Irelle. Frank nudged them both into them and went to the other side of the desk with his arms crossed, while Rila made her spot next to Medusa.

"So these two were getting handsy in my apartment."

Medusa briefly glanced at Rila, then to Frank. "Handsy? What does that mean?"

"Touching each other intimately, I guess."

None of the adults changed their facial expressions at all or showed any visible reaction. Ahura guessed that his mother and father were having an entire conversation between themselves telepathically. Black Bolt eventually sat up in his chair and looked to both of them.

_"Son, your mother and I are not angry that you want to be with Irelle. Far from it, we are happy you have someone to share your affections with. But lying to us to do so is unacceptable. That goes for both of you."_

Frank uncrossed his arms and put them on his hips. "I'm not going to tell you two that you can't have sex; I was a teenager once so I know how difficult those urges can be. But if we can't trust either of you to tell the truth, how can we trust you to know what you're doing when the door is closed?"

Both teens turned scarlet at the mention of sex. They weren't planning on going that far in the apartment, they mainly just wanted to explore each other's bodies. Ahura would wait for whenever Irelle was ready to go beyond that. He knew the fundamentals of sex; it was standard education for Inhumans since it tied so heavily into genetics. And he knew about contraception and where to obtain it so Ahura wasn't entirely in the dark about sex and reproduction. Inhumans weren't considered adults until their mid-thirties, Ahura and Irelle were still babies in comparison.

"Until we can trust you once again, all of your dates will be in public locations. If you are at home, they will be with supervision." Ahura sat up as if he wanted to protest but Medusa held her hand up. "No one will interrupt you or intrude in any way, but you may not be alone with each other at home without one of us present. And we _will_ verify with one another of our approval."

The teens looked to each other once again, Ahura shrugging. Honestly, their demands weren't that bad and if anything they would not have to keep their relationship secret anymore. They both nodded, until Frank held out his hands. "Phones. You'll get them back next week."

"That's not fair!" Irelle cried out, tightly clutching her bag.

Frank did not appear fazed at all. "You don't get to determine what is and isn't fair. Not while you're under my roof."

Ahura slid his phone across the desk, eager to show that he would follow whatever rules they set on him. He managed to get through two weeks of slave labor in the kitchen, so he could handle a week without his phone. Besides, there were still computers he could use with which to message her. Irelle turned off her phone before plopping it down on the desk as Black Bolt waved to get Ahura's attention.

" _You have schoolwork to do today, time to say goodbye._ "

Damn, Ahura hoped that he could be with Irelle more but neither of them could disobey the king. He nodded anyway, then stretched across the gap between their chairs to kiss Irelle's cheek. She blushed and squeezed his hand before standing to meet Frank at the door. Black Bolt dropped Ahura's phone into a drawer at his desk as it to make he statement that his punishment started now, then closed the drawer and locked it. Before Black Bolt returned to the bar he needed to check on Agon caring for the babies during their nap time, and Medusa and Ahura typically used Black Bolt's large desk for lessons unless the king had a meeting of some sort.

When Frank and Irelle left, Ahura put his head down on the desk. He wanted to be done with the day and pretend the business with Frank never happened. Medusa rubbed his back so he would sit up again.

 _"Everything will be fine, my love, you'll get your phone back._ "

Ahura shrugged. " _it's not really that. All I've done is get in trouble since the babies were born._ "

_"I'm sure it feels that way, but we would not be fulfilling our requirements as parents if we did not give you consequences, Ahura."_

He thumbed at a smudge on the desk lamp. " _Then why does it feel like everything I do gets criticized?"_

Medusa tucked a stray lock of hair behind Ahura's ear. He needed a haircut (Medusa preferred his hair shorter like his father's), but Ahura refused to let Medusa anywhere near him with scissors. _"Honey, we are training you to be king some day. When that happens, every step you take will be criticized. We don't give you consequences because we want to hurt you, or anger you, or keep you away from Irelle; we so do so because we want to make sure you succeed."_

They were quiet a moment when Ahura lay his head down once again. From his peripheral vision he could see Rila standing near the doorway waiting for his school lesson to begin. 

Medusa playfully hauled her son upright so he would look at her again. " _Want to know a secret? Between myself and Crystal, I was 'the bad one.' I was in trouble every other day before I married your father. And usually every other day after."_

She almost wished she could take a picture of Ahura's flabbergasted face. The young man sat up further and pointed to her. 

" _Yes, I was the trouble-maker. At least, before your uncle took the title from me."_ They both laughed at the snide remark made towards Maximus. " _I thought the king held too much power, ever since I was a young girl. And I told them that, once to Agon's face. My mother was absolutely horrified._

" _I know what you feel now is frustrating, but it will pass. That's not the most satisfying answer, but it's also the only true one that exists. Everything passes eventually, my love. Inhumans live long lives compared to humans, but the only permanent thing in our lives is that_ nothing _is permanent. Your father and I are teaching you to be a man and a king; it's not a role we take lightly. But some day we will have nothing left to teach you. Until that day, you are still in training. And it's good that you are questioning us and trying things on your own; that shows you are growing up and learning independence._ "

_"But I get in trouble when I do."_

Medusa shook her head. " _My love, you will never get into trouble for questioning us. It is your_ actions _that get you into trouble. There is a difference. When I questioned the king growing up, the fact that I questioned him was not the issue, it was the manner in which I did so. My actions caused the problem, not my question."_

Ahura was not sure how to respond, so he merely shrugged. It was the best answer Medusa could give him for the time being, so it would have to suffice. Laying the matter to rest, she waved over Rila so they could begin his schoolwork.

In the apartment, Black Bolt snuck into the nursery as quietly as possible to ensure the twins were still asleep. Because Inhuman infants grew so rapidly compared to humans, they experienced the pains of growing much more frequently and needed sleep more often. Both babies were thankfully still asleep, though for some reason Daryn's crib was slightly pulled out from the wall. 

He turned back to his father seated on the couch like a stone. Agon was unsure of what to do with himself in his son's apartment, so he merely sat on the couch and looked out the window to pass the time. Once one of the twins woke he would send word to Medusa so she could collect them. 

Black Bolt waved Agon over and pointed to the crib, made a gap with his hands to show the space between the crib and the wall, then pointed to Agon with a questioning look on his face.

"Are you asking if I moved the bed out? No, I did no such thing. It was against the wall when Medusa lay them down," Agon whispered. Black Bolt looked back into the nursery and tried to reason how the crib could move on its own, especially without waking Daryn. He shook his head and left the door ajar once again, heading toward the main door to head down to the bar. Agon stopped him.

"Blackagar, I meant to speak with you. About the boy. Ahura. I upset him, and I am unsure why."

Black Bolt truly did need to be downstairs, but this seemed important enough to warrant delay. Agon wanted to apologize to Ahura first, but since the boy ran before he could do so Agon let the matter rest. Black Bolt stood in front of his father and placed his hand on the back of his head, touching Agon's forehead with his own.

Agon blinked and opened his eyes to darkness save for enough light to see his son. Blackagar stood apart from Agon, though Agon could still feel the pressure of Blackagar's hand on the back of his head. It was an odd experience.

_"What is this, Blackagar? Where are we?"_

Black Bolt grinned at his father. _"A mind-link. We are inside both our minds."_

Agon's face registered pure alarm. _"How is this possible? How are you speaking?"_

_To be honest, Father, I've no idea how. I imagine it's similar to the link I have with my wife, but I never understood how it works exactly. What happened with Ahura?"_

Once the initial shock wore off, Agon straightened his shoulders. _"This morning I presented him with a gift Maximus and I worked on. They were hearing devices, so he would not have to rely on those gestures he uses. But they made him upset and angry. He said...he said he hated me. Why did you not give him something similar from the beginning? He could be normal by now."_

Black Bolt nodded, looking to the floor. _"I see. Father, we tried hearing devices when he was small; none of them worked well enough to be of any use. He hated them, it was a chore to ensure he wore them at times._

_"Vinatos told us that even if he did wear them, his hearing loss is so great he would likely never speak as the average person does. He no longer remembers sound, but at times if something is loud enough he can feel the vibration of it in his ears. His brain is no longer able to make sense of sound; even if he did wear what you gave him, the noise he heard would not make sense to him. The ghosts you've seen him use help him understand about 10% more than he would with lip-reading alone."_

Agon furrowed his brow. _"Would you not want him to be normal? I would have given my soul if it meant you were able to speak, Blackagar."_

 _"I know,"_ Black Bolt nodded, a sad smile on his face. _"I felt the same way when Vinatos told me I caused Ahura's hearing loss. If it were not for Medusa, though, I am not sure I would have ever come to understand my son as she understood me. Where many saw my inability to speak as a disability, she saw it as a difference, something unique that needed accommodation rather than something to be fixed. It took me years to feel the same about Ahura. I fought it, to the point that he wanted nothing to do with me. He was afraid to use his gestures in front of me. So I made a choice: accept my son as he is or lose him due to my own insecurity over how he speaks and what I perceived to be normal._

_"Most humans and Inhumans will say he has a disability, and he does. But Ahura is not a hearing person that simply lacks the ability to do so, nor will he ever be. As much as we try to fix it through technology, he will never be perceived as normal. His speech will never be normal, and he will always rely on his hands to speak for him._

_"But that is his normal, just as Medusa speaking for me is my normal. They're differences, and part of the Inhuman experience. Do you remember the motto of the Council?"_

Agon nodded. _"Diversity is Strength."_

 _"That is how we view Ahura and his hearing. Because of him our family communicates differently, his siblings will grow knowing how to accommodate those like him. Ahura does not have a deficit, just a difference."_ Black Bolt shrugged, waiting on his father's reaction. Agon's face hardly changed.

_"I'm not sure I will ever understand your line of thinking, Blackagar. Or your wife's. But I will try to do so. I cannot promise that I will agree with it, but I will try to understand. I never meant to make the boy feel inferior, I hope he understands that."_

Agon could feel Black Bolt increase the pressure on the back of his head. _"Just talk to him. All we are asking is that you try. Ahura is short-tempered like his mother, but also very kind. He forgives easily but will hold onto a grudge tighter than Lockjaw until whoever wronged him apologizes."_

Agon nodded, but his face showed sadness. _"Rynda would have adored him. All three of them. You know, she always hoped for twins before we were expecting you. Then she saw an image of you on a scan and was so in love with you that she forgot all about her desire for twins. She was...terrified of Maximus. She worried constantly that he would have the same power as you when he was born. I'm sure the tampering we did to ensure he did not have your power caused his 'illness.'"_

Black Bolt shrugged once again. _"It is impossible to say. But we have learned to manage it, just as Ahura and I learned to communicate. Accepting our differences doesn't make us weak, Father. We struggle with them, but we learn."_

Before Agon could respond, a sound broke through the mind-link that caused the darkness to dissipate. He blinked once again and was suddenly back in the middle of the apartment, afternoon sunlight warming the living room. The noise he heard came from the nursery, the sound of one twin giggling at the other. Agon had not spent enough time around them to be able to pick out which one was laughing at the other.

Black Bolt pat Agon's shoulder and left him standing there, heading to the nursery to take the babies downstairs with him. His office had plenty of toys for them stashed in a cabinet, so they could play while Medusa worked with Ahura on his lesson. He nudged the door open to find each twin reaching toward the other through the bars of their cribs, with Daryn's crib pulled further out from the wall.


	13. Chapter 13

Agon was shaking his head as he walked towards Blackagar's apartment- Maximus really was foolish at times. He'd just as good as said that with Agon back, their family should reclaim Attilan's throne. Agon scoffed as he knocked on the door. He may not approve of all that had changed with Attilan in recent decades, but even he knew that there was no going back- too much had changed. Not to mention that this was obviously a ploy to get _Maximus_  on the throne (again) and had nothing to do with the welfare of New Attilan or its people.

He put his secondborn from his mind as the apartment door was opened by Medusalith, who it seemed was finishing readying herself for the night out (she was still putting on an earring.) She greeted Agon warmly and stepped back to let him in. Agon had to admit, he'd been thrilled when Blackagar had asked him to mind the twins and keep an eye on Ahura so that Blackagar and Medusalith could have a night out. Maybe things really were looking up between him and his son now, if Blackagar trusted him to mind his children.

Ahura was slumped on the couch, arms folded, clearly sulking, presumably because he had been told he had to stay and help with the infants, but Agon already intended to let the boy go out if he wanted to, provided he was home before his parents- Ahura staying here had been Medusalith's idea, yesterday, but Agon was sure he could cope with his infant grandchildren without their older brother's help. Besides, Ahura had only just finished a month of being 'grounded' for sneaking out with a girl- the boy was probably desperate to get out and about!

Blackagar emerged from the master bedroom, pulling on a jacket. Human attire, Agon noted, but didn't comment. Blackagar took Medusalith's arm, and signed something to Ahura, who merely shrugged. He and Medusa then turned to Agon.

"Anora and Daryn are sleeping, and they've had their evening feed, so you shouldn't have much trouble. You can bring them in here to play if they wake, but not for too long." Medusa twisted her hands. "Ahura knows how to use the phone to contact us if there's a problem..."

Agon shook his head, suppressing a smile. He had no idea if these were Medusalith's words or Blackagar's, but he waved his hands, encouraging them to leave. "Go. Make the most of your evening out. I assure you I am quite capable of watching over two five-month old infants for a few hours. And I'm looking forward to spending time with my grandchildren." He waved Blackagar and Medusalith towards the door. "Have a good time."

Blackagar cast him a long look, but nodded, leading Medusa out, closing the door behind them.

Ahura sighed loudly, his whole posture projecting boredom and frustration.

Agon winked at him, signing quickly. 'Wait ten minutes, they're gone, then you go out if you want.'

Ahura's eyes widened in shock. Agon nodded, grinning. 'Back by ten though.' He signed.

Ahura's face split into a massive grin and he spent the next ten minutes typing furiously on his human phone, alternated with watching the clock, willing ten minutes to pass. Agon smothered laughter as the boy leapt to his feet when enough time had passed, smoothed his hair while pulling on a jacket and raced out of the door.

The door nearly slammed shut behind him, and Agon winced. That was sure to wake up at least one of the babies...

Sure enough, an annoyed wail came from the nursery. Agon made his way down there, to see young Daryn sitting up in his crib, a put-upon look on his face, while his sister slept on, oblivious. Moving quietly, Agon lifted the baby boy into his arms, shushing him as he carried him to the living room.

"We have to keep quiet, little one, your sister still sleeps." Agon set Daryn on his knee, smiling as little hands immediately went for his beard- both twins seemed to find it fascinating.

Daryn eyed Agon for a few minutes, almost suspiciously, before smiling as he squirmed to get down. Agon quickly scanned the floor- nothing dangerous lying around. He set the five-month old down, chuckling as Daryn immediately started crawling. He'd only recently got the hang of this (according to Medusalith) and was into everything he could reach. Anora, however, seemed to be in no hurry to learn to crawl. Odd for a five-month old Inhuman infant, the equivalent of a nine-month old human child, but her parents didn't pressure her- yet.

Daryn found a toy dog that resembled Lockjaw and picked it up, babbling away as if talking to it.

Agon seated himself on the sofa, content to watch his little grandson's baby antics, listening to Dayn 'talk' and adding to the 'conversation' whenever Daryn looked at him. Tears sprang to his eyes when Daryn hugged the toy dog. This sort of moment was so touching, watching little ones show affection, so innocent and guileless, and he'd thrown all that away with his own sons...

A louder, indignant screech came from the nursery. Daryn turned his head towards the sound just as Agon did.

"Ahhhh...."

"Yes, that's right, I think your sister is awake." Agon got to his feet and returned to the nursery, glancing back every two seconds to ensure Daryn hadn't moved. Luckily, the boy was watching his every move. Entering the nursery, Agon saw Anora sitting up in her crib as Daryn had been minutes earlier. Her little face was red and she looked angry. She was staring into Daryn's empty crib, and almost seemed to glare at Agon when she saw him.

"Daaaa..... daaaa!" She said, in an almost demanding tone. Agon chuckled.

"Alright, alright, let's go find Daryn." He lifted Anora from her crib and returned to the lounge, noting almost as an afterthought that the soft toys that Agon thought had been in Daryn's crib a few minutes ago were now somehow in Anora's crib. He couldn't leave Daryn unnattended while he looked round though, so ignored it for now- maybe he'd gotten it wrong and Anora usually slept with those toys around her.

"Da!" Anora announced when she saw her brother, pointing and breaking into a smile. Daryn returned the grin, abandoning his toy to crawl over towards Agon. He set Anora down next to her brother before returning to the couch, happy to watch them playing together.

After a while, though, he fetched the book he'd brought a few weeks ago, a guide to American Sign Language. Ahura's language. Agon had mastered a few of the basics, but was by no means fluent. He wanted his mastery of the language to improve, especially after his slip-up in making the implants. He checked on the babies every two minutes or so, while reading slowly, making sure he memorized what he could. The underlying message of the book though, was one consistent suggestion: _practice_. Agon understood that- seeing these signs depicted on paper would not be enough. He really needed to see them used to learn them properly. Perhaps he could ask Ahura to teach him, that at least would give them common ground, working on it together...

Anora began giggling, causing Agon to look up at her. He blinked. A pair of shoes, which had been near the couch five minutes ago, were now sitting right in front of Anora, who was examining them critically, before putting a shoelace in her mouth. Agon set the book down and quickly removed the shoes from her, handing her a plastic ball instead. He replaced the shoes behind the couch, wondering if Daryn had crawled over and got them without him noticing, but that didn't make sense- how could a crawling baby have carried two adult's shoes with him? Besides, Daryn was still 'talking' away to the Lockjaw toy.

Shaking his head, he went to pick his book back up- only to find it sliding off the couch, towards the floor, far too fast to be falling naturally. It slid from the couch, then shot across the floor, stopping at Anora's feet. The baby girl clapped and giggled happily, grabbing at the book that had her grandfather so engrossed.

Comprehension dawned on Agon even as he swiftly took the book back, giving her a picture book instead, ignoring her babbled protests. _No wonder she is slow to learn to crawl_ , he thought wryly. _She has no need to, she's a telekinetic!_

Still. It would be a surprise, and a good one, he hoped, for Blackagar and Medusalith when they got home. Inhumans born with powers, without Terrigenesis, were seen as a miracle, a very rare occurence. Even though raising a baby with the power of telekinesis... it would make things interesting, at the very least!

Agon laughed softly at the thought- even as he gripped his book to stop it being taken again. He would be here to help train his grandaughter with her powers, as he had not been for his own sons. This time, he would get it right.

 

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

"Do you think Ahura is miserable at home with your father?"

Black Bolt grinned and nodded, dabbing the edge of his mouth with a napkin.

"That's what I figured," Medusa chuckled. At least Ahura was acknowledging his grandfather once again, unlike a few weeks ago when Ahura rarely even looked in Agon's direction. Even after Agon apologized (with the help of Rila), Ahura was still wary of the older Inhuman. As the weeks went on Ahura grew tired of holding his grudge and seemed to relax a bit without any external pressure to do so.

Medusa found it difficult not to think about her children. This date was the first they'd spent more than about an hour away from the babies; when they left Ahura in charge (the day he turned them over to Luna and wandered off) Black Bolt and Medusa were merely downstairs so they were not far away. Tonight they were more than a few miles away at a new restaurant that exclusively served food from Attilan. It was the first in New York so the owners invited the King and Queen personally.

It was also the first night they were able to dress formally in months. Black Bolt generally wore coat tails when he worked the bar so he grew tired of wearing the suit regularly since it was his 'uniform.' Tonight he wore a simple slate-colored blazer over a black button-down, absent of the Boltagon insignia. Medusa and Black Bolt tried their best to blend in that evening and were largely successful; only one person in the subway station mentioned that Medusa looked familiar (another little girl commented on her pretty hair). At the restaurant they were easily recognized by other Inhumans, many of whom bowed as if they were still in Attilan. Nothing that they wore indicated royalty, and the humans eyed them with confusion.

It was nice to let her hair unwind without one of her children pulling at her locks or humans making comments. The number of drunken statements about her hair that Medusa heard on a regular basis at the Quiet Room wore on her nerves, but she could not blame Black Bolt. He heard his own share of 'strong, silent-type' comments from women looking for free booze on a nightly basis.

They ate quietly, Medusa glancing at her phone every few minutes as if waiting for some kind of emergency. Black Bolt took the phone and placed it in the inside pocket of his blazer, smiling at her worried expression.

 _I'll know if there's a message or a call,_ he soothed mentally. _Agon is capable of minding all three of them, if Ahura has even left his room. He probably shut himself in it to be moody again._ Black Bolt reached across the table to hold her hand, looking into Medusa's eyes to reassure her. They needed time away for themselves, away from Ahura's teenager angst or one of the babies screaming at them for relief from painful gums. Anora managed to bite Daryn a few days ago and leave a small blue bruise on the little boy's arm, prompting him to push her over by slapping at her face. This came after Medusa scolded Anora for biting Medusa's nipple too hard while nursing the baby girl, her lone tooth nearly drawing blood. Black Bolt and Medusa loved their children, but the kids were also wearing them down. It almost felt like the babies planned some of their chaos just to spite them; the one night they tried to be intimate since Agon's return (apart from that afternoon when Black Bolt's emotions became the better of him), they were interrupted by Daryn whining from his crib. They tried to ignore him, but then Anora started screeching along with him. Their collective patience ran extremely thin.

After dinner they ordered a bottle of the Attilan-equivalent of wine. The drink was less alcoholic than the wine humans drank, but where Inhumans compromised in alcohol they made up for in flavorful food. Medusa also missed reading and speaking her first language. She was grateful for the hand-written Tilanese menu and its simple layout. Crystal informed her that one of the larger computer manufacturers was working on turning Tilanese into a usable font though that was still in planning stages. Switching between English, Ahura's sign language, Black Bolt's gestures, and Tilan--often within a few minutes--Medusa's brain was overtaxed at times.

With dinner finished, they remained seated to enjoy the quiet atmosphere. No children, no work demands, no royal matters to attend. Despite giving up the throne more than a year prior, older Inhumans still requested ceremonies they used to do albeit on a smaller scale. Black Bolt still occasionally blessed new infants, Medusa spoke with school children, and they still attended terrigenesis ceremonies when time permitted. They needed to take the twins to New Attilan soon so they could begin learning their heritage. Ahura's tutelage began far too late and he struggled with learning his lineage, so Black Bolt wanted to start the twins sooner. Maybe Agon could help since he had the most memory of the royal family history.

A slow song resonated from small speakers placed around the room, prompting Black Bolt to stand with his hand out. Medusa stood slowly and took his hand, winding her hair into a simple braid. Black Bolt could count the number of times they danced on one hand, the first being at their wedding. It took years for Black Bolt to not associate the events of his wedding with the death of his parents since they occurred so close together but Medusa helped him through those moments. She made it okay for him to feel sorrow and to mourn.

They were not the only couple slow-dancing, but together they were in their own tiny world. It was the most relaxed they felt since the twins were born, slowly swaying together without much attention paid to the actual beat of the song. Medusa tucked both of her arms between them against Black Bolt's chest, feeling his heartbeat against the palm of her hand. Often in the mornings before either of the babies woke Medusa lay her head against his chest to listen to Black Bolt's slow heartbeat. She did the same in the early years of their marriage when Medusa still could not believe that the man she loved was in her bed with her and not locked inside a chamber.

_Which twin do you think will make Agon regret his agreement to mind them?_

Medusa smiled up at her husband. "My bet is on Ahura, actually. Unless Anora bites him, or Daryn gets himself stuck somewhere again. He was such an angry little boy this morning." That morning before breakfast Daryn crawled under the legs of the dining chairs and was unable to figure out how to get himself back out again, prompting a rather dramatic tantrum.

_We are in serious trouble when they can both crawl._

"If Anora ever decides to do so. The most I can get her to do is roll."

_She has no reason to crawl since Ahura carries her everywhere, he dotes on her._

That much was true: Ahura spoiled his baby sister, but Black Bolt also spoiled her just as much. Anora had her father and her older brother wrapped around her tiny fingers. She was more like her father than her mother, however. One of the few pictures Medusa had of her family was one in which Black Bolt fell asleep in bed with Anora next to him in almost the exact same position, as if sleeping on her side with her arm thrown out in front of her were a genetic trait.

Medusa sighed deeply and lay her head against Black Bolt's shoulder. "Do you ever wonder what we would be like if we did not have children? How different we would be?"

Black Bolt crooked his head somewhat, briefly kissing the top of Medusa's forehead. _Probably tired of ourselves. And to think the Council forbid us even having children in the first place._

"I don't regret it. Not a moment. I only regret that I did not fight harder to keep Ahura with us, Council be damned."

_There are things I regret._

Medusa stopped swaying and pulled back from her husband. "What things? What do you regret?"

 _I regret that we had him so young. We were only a few years older than he is now when he was brought into our lives; Agon was seventy when I was born! We were not even considered adults yet._ Black Bolt shrugged his shoulders and thumbed Medusa's knuckle. _I'll never regret our son, Medusa, I hope that is made clear. At times I wonder if I would have been a better father if we waited, that is all._

She nodded and moved back into his embrace, internally giggling at the looks from human patrons that did not understand the telepathic link with her husband. Surely Medusa looked mad, as though she were talking to herself. "He's grown so much since he returned to us. He will be taller than Maximus soon enough."

_That bar isn't very high._

The snort Medusa made was very unladylike. "Oh, stop, you're as bad as Gorgon poking fun at your brother. Ahura might even be taller than you eventually."

 _Randac forbid,_ Black Bolt mentally exclaimed, sarcasm covering his thoughts. For generations until now all Boltagon men, save for Maximus, were tall and domineering. It helped them continue holding onto the royal line.

"We should probably head home soon. I'm sure Agon is overwhelmed if Ahura is not helping him mind the babies."

Black Bolt nodded and dug into his jacket pocket for the phone to look at the time. If they left now they still would not return home before the babies' bedtime but Black Bolt had a suspicion they would refuse to sleep until mother and father were home. If Agon miraculously managed to put them to bed Anora would sleep harder than a stone, but Daryn might wake up as soon as they cracked the door to the nursery. Medusa found it funny that although the twins spent maybe thirty minutes apart from one another in their lives, and thus they were raised in virtually the exact same environment, their personalities were so vastly different. Where Daryn was shy, Anora had no problem voicing her "opinions." And while Anora preferred to sit up and look at the world when she sat on someone's lap, Daryn was just as happy being cuddled and swaddled close.

Black Bolt went to settle up the bill as Medusa gathered her coat and handbag. The owner attempted to dissuade Black Bolt from paying but Black Bolt insisted, calling it a gift from the King and Queen in hopes that the establishment would see success. Medusa could also tell based on Black Bolt's thoughts that he bartered primarily so he could write back and forth with someone who could read Tilanese. With the bill settled, Medusa sent a quick text to Ahura to let her son know they were on their way home.

They held hands the entire train trip home, keeping their conversation to themselves. If they brought the babies Medusa would have to chatter at them throughout the trip to keep them occupied and less fearful of the tunnels or noise, so it was nice to be able to sit quietly for some time and look out the window at the city. Sometimes she found New York to be overwhelming with its multitude of people and movement, but being able to see it from afar and separated by a train car was relaxing.

The train pulled into their stop and Medusa took a deep breath, preparing to force her way through the throngs of people. The air was already tense around them due to the preacher that stood on the platform yelling verses to anyone who would listen about the abominations that were Inhuman and Mutant freaks, none of which Medusa had any patience for. Since the Quiet Room was connected to Union Station it saw heavier foot traffic from Inhumans, making it a prime spot for preachers and religious leaders to spew their hate messages. All in the name of God's love, of course.

Flagman was able to escort them through the bar patrons quickly enough, leaving them at the foot of the steps to their apartment. Black Bolt stopped and cocked his ear upwards for a moment. _Anora is upset. Agon is scolding her._

Medusa closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "If she bit her brother again, she's in her crib for the rest of the night."

Black Bolt nodded and slowly trudged up the stairs to deal with whatever made his daughter screech. He quietly opened the door to see Agon still seated on the sofa with Anora tantruming on her belly on the floor. Ahura sat at the other end of the couch helping Daryn "stand" by holding him upright. When Ahura noticed his parents in the doorway he waved and turned Daryn around to see them. Agon continued to scold Anora and did not notice his son's entrance.

"No, young lady, you may only have your doll if you come and get it." Agon shrugged his shoulders. "That's fine, continue being upset, it will not give you what you want."

Black Bolt tapped his father's shoulder while Medusa went to the other side of the couch to hold her youngest. "Agon, what is the matter with her? Why is she upset? And why are you stepping on her doll?"

Agon grinned and crossed his arms. "She'll never learn to crawl if you do not force her to do so."

The explanation took both Medusa and Black Bolt back. "Excuse me? We don't force any of our children to do anything."

"Woman, I've been training Inhumans since before either of you were born," Agon chuckled to Medusa's annoyance. "She has no reason to learn to crawl unless you give her one."

"Give her the doll so she will calm down."

Agon folded his hands. "No. Her behavior will not be rewarded."

"She's an infant! She does not understand her behavior or why she's being scolded."

"Yes, she does. She knows how to use her power, it keeps her from progressing."

Black Bolt shook his head. _Neither of them have powers yet._

Ahura snorted from the other side of the couch, waving at Agon. " _Show them, Grandfather. Let them see._ "

The adults were silent as Agon moved his foot and toed the doll so it was a few inches closer to Anora, who continued to scream at her grandfather and his obvious injustice. Agon called her name so she would notice his foot was not on the doll anymore. "Alright, young lady, cease your crying and show your mother and father what you can do."

Anora looked up to Medusa and Black Bolt for a moment, babbling her discontent at her wants being denied. When her attention turned to her doll, she looked at it with determination, kicking her feet somewhat and reaching towards it. The doll wiggled about an inch before sliding across the floor and into the baby's hands.

"She's telekinetic, she has no reason to learn to crawl if she can pull anything she wants to herself."

Black Bolt and Medusa stood still, trying to process the strange occurrences over the past week that were suddenly making sense. _Daryn's crib, she's been moving it._

"How did we miss this?" Medusa tugged Daryn's fingers from his mouth and placed a chew cloth in his hand instead. "Has she been hiding it from us?"

"Oh, I doubt she's done so intentionally," Agon mused. "All three of you carry her everywhere and give in to her demands, why would she need to use her powers with you nearby?"

Black Bolt went around the couch and plucked Anora from the floor, thumbing away the remnants of tears on her face. He kissed the top of her head and bounced somewhat to further calm her down. _We will have to bolt everything down now or it will all end up on the floor. And lock their toy chest._

"Let's just get them to bed first, then we can plan what to do. Karnak will be pleased that another member of the family gained powers without Terrigenesis."

Agon looked pensive for a moment, staring at the black screen of the television. "That begs the question, what would happen if she were to undergo Terrigenesis. When were you expecting to put them through the Mists?"

"The minimum age is 14 now, Agon. Infant terrigenesis has been done away with."

"But she already shows considerable power for someone so young!"

Medusa held Daryn closer to her body. "No, Agon. They will not undergo terrigenesis until they can understand it's significance."

Agon scrunched his face, admitting defeat. Yet another one of his rulings nullified. "Fine, fine, do as you will." He stood slowly, thing to ignore the pops and creaks in his joints. "Well, I am off then. Night is for the young, of which I am no longer. Sleep well." He waved to Ahura and the babies once again before closing the main door behind him.

Black Bolt kissed Anora's head once again and took her into the nursery to lay her down for the night. He suspected that part of her tantrum was due to fatigue rather than being denied her toy. Since Daryn was still awake Medusa sat on the couch to nurse him to sleep. "My love," she whispered to her youngest. "You both are growing too fast, why the rush to grow up?" Daryn looked into his mother's eyes, his tiny eyebrows shooting up as if considering an answer. His blue eyes were heavy as he struggled to keep them open.

Black Bolt disappeared into the bedroom to change out of his jacket and button-down. The living room would need to be picked up after the twins scattered toys everywhere, but that could wait until the morning. They would do the same before breakfast either way.

He busied himself rinsing a few dishes as Medusa set Daryn in his crib and closed the door behind her. Ahura barely looked up from his phone until Medusa used her hair to cover the screen. " _Don't stay up all night, my love. We have a busy day tomorrow._ " Ahura dramatically dropped his head back onto the couch, groaning audibly.

" _Lame. It's the weekend. Nobody does anything on the weekend._ "

" _Well, we do._ " Medusa kissed Ahura's cheek and left him on the couch to change out of her dress and into bedclothes. Black Bolt followed her into the bedroom and sat on the bed to watch her get dressed. As she crawled into bed next to him, he gently rolled on top of her.

They looked into each other's eyes for a long moment, a tired smile on Medusa's face. Tomorrow they would go as a family to New Attilan to present Anora to the Council and to Vinatos for DNA sequencing, which meant a long day full of ceremonies and speeches. By the end of it all they'd be exhausted, most likely with two very fussy babies and a bored teenager to entertain.

Black Bolt twirled a lock of Medusa's hair in his fingers, thinking back to one of their personal jokes they went through whenever duty wore them down. _Remember what we were like, before we were king and queen?"_

Medusa gently shook her head.

_Neither do I._


	15. Chapter 15

Ahura yawned widely as he slumped on the sofa. The trip to New Attilan yesterday had been boring and exhausting- endless greetings from his parents' former subjects, hours of genetic testing on both Anora and Daryn, by the end of which both twins were tired and irritable, and the sheer number of new Inhumans dying for a look at the former king, queen and prince, all of whom had to be greeted politely and courteously. By the time they were able to make polite excuses and leave, it was almost evening! They'd gotten home, but Ahura was too fed up with his parents' priorities, making him waste an entire day like that, and he'd stormed straight to his room.

The next day, his father had warned him to stop 'sulking' and keep an eye on Daryn while he and Medusa tried to test the limits of Anora's abilities, alone. Ahura had snorted at that- he doubted his baby sister would do _anything_  if Daryn wasn't at least in view, but he just couldn't find the energy to argue. As soon as his parents had taken Anora to the nursery, he had set Daryn in his playpen with some toys, and conjured a ghost to listen out for him, while trying to catch up on some reading he was meant to do for homework.

The text was mind-numbingly boring, and his eyes grew heavier and heavier as he tried to focus on reading. Halfway through the third chapter, he just decided to lean back and rest his eyes for a moment, after sparing Daryn a quick glance- his baby brother was sitting in the playpen, happily chattering away to the Lockjaw toy. Ahura closed his eyes, leaning his head back. _Just for a minute..._

 

* * *

 

Maximus scrambled his way up the steps to Blackagar's apartment, mind reeling from what Agon had just told him. His new little niece had powers, telekinetic powers that she'd evidently been born with, no Terrigen Mist needed. _Good for her,_  Maximus sneered in his mind. But little Daryn had nothing. He was different. Inferior. Just as Maximus himself had once been viewed. He had to get to the child, make sure he didn't get the same treatment Maximus had in his youth, made to feel worthless because he wasn't gifted as his sibling was.

"No-one deserves that cruelty, to be treated like Agon treated me when I didn't have _powers_ ," he muttered to himself as he opened the door and slipped into the apartment. He had to keep little Daryn from feeling that suffering and rejection!

Entering the apartment, he moved quietly, until he heard... _snoring?_  He stepped into the living area and frowned. Ahura was half-sitting up on the sofa, asleep, study book in hand, while helpless little Daryn sat in his playpen, his only company a stuffed toy version of Lockjaw. He could hear baby Anora fussing in another room, then silence, then Medusa's voice.

Maximus' heart clenched, aching. Already the 'gifted' child had absorbed all her parents' attention, while Daryn, now unimportant in Black Bolt and Medusa's eyes, was left in the charge of his older brother, who wasn't even watching the child properly, as he was too busy sleeping!

Shaking his head and seething inwardly, Maximus inched forward, keeping a wary eye on Ahura, who didn't even stir when he lifted Daryn into his arms. The baby still clung to the Lockjaw toy, and Maximus smiled.

"You know what you want, don't you?" He chuckled. Daryn could keep his favourite toy, of course- Maximus wasn't going to be cruel to the child! "You're going to come live with me now, little Daryn," He whispered. "Then you won't know how much it hurts to have your brother and sister favoured over you just because you don't have powers."

Daryn's little face looked apprehensive, but he didn't cry. Maximus stroked the fluffy red hair, rocking the baby as he started for the door. "Ssh, keep quiet, little nephew. This is for the best. Uncle Maximus will look after you, make you feel like the most important child in the world, not like your parents would now they think your sister's better than you." They reached the front door to the apartment. Ahura had not even stirred in his sleep, and Black Bolt and Medusa were still too busy doting on Anora to even notice Daryn being moved to his new home. Maximus shook his head in disgust as he snuggled Daryn inside his jacket to keep him warm, and used his powers to make sure no-one was looking at him as he left the bar.

Once they were outside, he held Daryn close, speaking fast to reassure him. "It'll be alright, don't cry, I don't want humans paying too much attention to us. Untrustworthy creatures, humans. But you'll learn that soon enough." He pressed a kiss to the baby boy's head. "We'll go to one of my apartments, and I will take such good care of you, be a better father than my brother. You'll miss your sister, but it's better you part now, so you don't grow to hate her like I ended up hating my brother. It's hard, being the only one in the family without powers. I know, I grew up like that, til my powers finally developed. But you'll never know that pain, oh no. You'll be happy, and safe, and loved with me."

Maximus only glanced back at the Quiet Room once before it was out of sight. Black Bolt and Medusa had two children with powers. They wouldn't grudge him giving a better life to the poor infant who _didn't_  have Inhuman abilities, surely?

 

* * *

 

A hand shook Ahura's shoulder, and he jerked awake, startled, taking a few seconds to remember where he was. _Right, the sofa, I must've fallen asleep._  He blinked a few times, trying to wake up, before staring sheepishly at his father, who'd just woken him.

Black Bolt's face was pale, and fraught with tension as he stared at him. Ahura frowned, his sleep-fogged mind trying to work out what he could've done wrong _this_  time. Medusa came out of the nursery, Anora babbling away in her arms. She took one look at the living room and her face went as white as Black Bolt's. Ahura, heart thumping, followed his mother's gaze.

To Daryn's empty playpen.

Ahura's heart nearly stopped, and he couldn't draw breath.

Medusa spoke and signed slowly, as if she hoped this was a nightmare, not real. "Ahura... where is Daryn?"

Ahura could only shake his head, feeling sick. He had no idea. How could he have been so stupid as to fall asleep?

Where was his baby brother? What had he _done?!_


	16. Chapter 16

Ahura lay his head down on the table once again to hide his face. The constant stream of police officers and family members wore him out, and their glares and condescending looks did not help at all. The only people to look at him with any sort of compassion was his father, Irelle, and Rila.

His mother paced the living room, hugging herself in reassurance that her baby boy was alive and well. Police searched every square inch of the apartment then moved to the offices and down the steps into the bar's kitchen. No one was allowed to leave until everyone was questioned, but everyone swore that they'd not seen a baby at all that evening. Flagman pulled up the security tapes and allowed various officers to cycle through them, but the last image of Daryn they found was of them returning from yesterday's trip to New Attilan.

Eventually the Quiet Room cleared, leaving only Flagman and a few specific people alone in the bar area. Frank had been in full detective mode since walking through the front door, and he reminded Ahura of the fictive human detective with the funny hat.

They went through every scenario they could think up; they considered that Daryn climbed out of the playpen but, even though he could somewhat stand if he pulled up on something, he was too short to reach the doorknob. They called in Agon and questioned him, thinking that he wanted to spend time with his grandson, but Agon was in his room all evening. Ahura was not known to sleep-walk, and he did not remember waking at all until Black Bolt shook his shoulder.

Irelle's presence calmed Ahura, as she did not try to extract information from him or look at him in anger like everyone else. She did little more than hold his hand or rub his back. Giving statements was a tiresome affair as the entire exchange had to work through Rila, which the police officers found disconcerting due to her unusual skin tone. They wanted to question Ahura alone but Medusa would not allow it; despite the immense anger she felt at her oldest son she still refused to allow the officers to intimidate him.

After so many years together, Black Bolt could tell that Medusa was not _truly_ angry at Ahura. Her blame stemmed from worry and displaced panic, as if she needed an outlet for how she felt and Ahura just happened to be the nearest target. She bit her nails as she paced, winding her hair tightly until she could feel her scalp burn. Other times she sat and tried her hardest not to cry. Medusa could not look at her oldest son without wanting to weep.

Anora was passed among the adults to keep her out from underfoot but Medusa did not allow Anora out of her sight. Anora knew something was wrong based on the behaviors and facial expressions of those around her but she did not have the experience yet to understand. She seemed to recognize that Daryn was not in the room with her, Ahura could feel her confusion at times when she looked around the room for her twin. Due to the commotion she was too distracted to use her powers at all, much to Karnak's disappointment.

"Crystal and Luna will stay here tonight," Gorgon mused aloud, back to being the head of the Royal Guard in an instant. "I'll post some of my guardsmen downstairs, no one comes up here unless cleared by me."

Black Bolt placed his hand on Gorgon's shoulder to thank him. The last of the police officers were clearing out, many of whom lingered only to gawk at Gorgon's legs or the tattoo-like markings on Karnak's face. Gorgon snarled at the officers more than once when they referred to his family as mutants; the officers might as well have insulted Randac in his eyes. They left after Medusa and Black Bolt managed to collect every photo of Daryn they could find, a grand total of six outdated images from the twins first few weeks. Since inhuman infants aged so quickly, the photos would be practically useless as Daryn almost resembled a toddler now compared to the tiny baby in the photos.

Once the apartment emptied of all but family (plus Frank and Irelle), they tried to convince Medusa to rest for a bit. Crystal managed to at least persuade her older sister to lie down, and Medusa did so but remained awake. Crystal sat next to her brushing her sister's hair like they did as small children. Luna was placed in charge of minding Anora for the time being since Medusa refused to allow her to be in Ahura's care.

Black Bolt sat at the table with his oldest son, his huge hand on the back of Ahura's head. He reached into his son's thoughts and connected with him, intermittently so as if a radio were in between stations. _Your mother does not blame you, son. She is upset and worried, her thoughts are not rational at the present._

Ahura looked up and scowled at his father. _She said she will never trust me again._

Black Bolt gently shook his head. _She does not mean it. Your mother is scared, and fear makes people do impulsive things. She will understand this is not your fault in time._

 _"I'm scared,"_ Ahura signed, his hands trembling. _"He's just a baby."_

They sat in silence then, interrupted occasionally by Anora 'yelling' at them from across the room. Rarely was the apartment silent, so to Black Bolt the lack of sound was oppressive. Even a mute king needed to fill the air with sound, so he often listened to music while working. Absolute silence felt heavy and he was grateful for Anora's frequent chatter. She and Daryn often had 'conversations' that consisted of babbling at each other with various intonations and inflections, but now that it was only one-sided she kept her thoughts to herself, it seemed.

 

* * *

  
  
Across town, Maximus stretched out on the floor to watch his nephew play with toys. Apart from their initial introduction when the babies were a few weeks old, he'd only seen his brother's youngest children from a distance as they grew. Maximus had next to no experience with children smaller than Ahura, but Daryn seemed to tolerate his uncle.

"Nephew, your hair will only serve to anger me. Yes, this hair on top of your head," Maximus cooed at Daryn as he smoothed out a red cowlick. Typically black hair was the dominant gene in the Boltagon family so the fact that the twins had red hair was unusual.

Daryn kept a cautious distance from his uncle, who he'd seen on occasion but prior to that evening had little interaction. They spent most of the evening on the floor playing with the few toys Maximus managed to pilfer on the way home. Even Maximus understood that he was woefully unequipped to raise an infant in terms of necessary items, so the next day they would need to acquire some necessities. For now Daryn could sleep in a laundry basket; it was enclosed enough that the baby would not roll over in his sleep and fall, and if Daryn did wake and climb out it was not tall enough to hurt him. Maximus need only line it with some pillows and blankets to make it comfortable.

Daryn looked at his uncle and held up his stuffed Lockjaw. "La-la?"

"Yes, that is Lockjaw. Such a smart boy, you are. You won't need powers to get by, Little Nephew, you'll rely on your mind like I did growing up. No, you will learn and be happy without powers." Daryn continued to jabber at his toy, never letting it out of his sight even as he reached for other toys.

The apartment looked as though it suffered a flood as many of the items originally on the floor were placed at higher levels and out of Daryn's reach. Even so, Daryn managed to dig into everything he could find that wasn't actually bolted to the floor. Maximus began to wonder if Daryn knew he was doing something dangerous just to spite his uncle.

Daryn chewed on his fingers, something he did to show mama that he felt hungry. Maximus did not pick up on the cue, leading Daryn to work himself into becoming upset. In between wails Daryn continued to chew on his fingers even as Maximus tried bouncing him or giving him different toys. "What do you need, Nephew? I don't understand."

Maximus paced the room with Daryn still whining at him. It would be far easier if Daryn could just say what he wanted so Maximus did not need to keep guessing. Once Daryn began gnawing on Maximus's jacket did he understand. "Hungry? Is that what you are trying to tell me? Alright then, let's see how these powders work. You know, if this were Old Attilan you would have actual milk and not this processed abomination that my brother allows you to drink." Maximus read the instructions on the plastic tub and did some reconfiguring of the required amount. The five-month-old portion was meant for five-month-old human infants, which Daryn outgrew before the twins were two months old. Maximus settled on giving him the amount meant for a one-year-old human and figured whatever Daryn didn't drink he could save for later.

Maximus sat on the couch and let Daryn situate himself until he was comfortable. Daryn could hold the bottle himself as he drank but he needed to lie back to do so, which Maximus found endearing. "There, how is that? Are you satisfied?"

Daryn eyed his uncle from behind the bottle and amused himself by kicking his feet. He found his feet to be hilarious at times, like he did with his hands a few months ago. Some mornings before Anora woke he liked to pull his feet up enough that he could watch his toes wiggle.

"You will grow to understand how little regard your parents have for you, now that all their attention is on your sister. But that is why I am here, Little Nephew, so you do not feel their rejection too harshly. It will hurt, but that will pass. Uncle Max understands how you feel, do not fret." Talking seemed to help Daryn relax, something the boy's father could not do. Yet another reason Black Bolt was insufficient as a father. "Your life will be easy, Nephew. No competing for your parents' attention, no slogging through a conversation with your father trying to guess his gestures. I'll take care of you. The Council only permits two children anyway, and since your father had three it only makes sense that you live here."

Anytime Maximus mentioned Black Bolt, Daryn scanned the room as if searching for him. "Ba Ba," Daryn muttered with the bottle still in his mouth.

"Yes, Black Bolt. You must work to forget him, though, Little Nephew. Most likely he's already forgotten you."

 

* * *

 

  
The phone call from the police to inform them that Daryn was officially a missing-person case tore Medusa in half. She hoped that their call was to say that they found him, but as soon as the officer hung up the phone she practically collapsed into Black Bolt's arms.

Crystal tried to involve Lockjaw in locating Daryn, but she could not think of a way to explain to the dog who she meant. Any iteration of Daryn they tried only took them to another human with a similar name. Finding Black Bolt or Medusa or Ahura was easy enough since their names were extremely unique so they were easy enough to find. Daryn, despite the unique spelling, was still more common.

She spent much of the day laying on their bed staring at the bouncer Daryn resided in for a few weeks when he was much smaller. Even though his wailing and screeching kept Black Bolt up for days, Black Bolt would gladly listen to his son scream at him if it meant his little boy was home. Black Bolt mourned in his own way, sitting in his darkened office by himself while Medusa rested. Ahura stayed curled up on his bed and away from everyone, leaving his room only to pick at some food or use the facilities. Agon stayed with Anora, popping into Ahura's room every so often to check on the boy.

They closed the Quiet Room that night and Black Bolt did not plan to reopen it until his son was found and safe at home. Flagman tried to stay so he could be of some use to the royal family, but Black Bolt sent him home. Gorgon was the best tracker of any Inhuman they knew; unless they found new evidence, there was little the Boltagon family could do.

After the phone call, Medusa wept into Black Bolt's shoulder for a time. The one time Ahura left his room to ask what happened, Medusa lashed out at him and said she did not want his presence near her. She _knew_ she hurt him, and Ahura certainly hurt. He went back to his room and curled into a ball under his bedsheets for a few hours to block out the world.

Family members tried to convince Medusa to eat, but any time she tried Medusa would vomit it all up again a few minutes later. She kept down water, which certainly helped as she practically dehydrated herself from crying. Gorgon went out with the Royal Guard to search, but without many leads their search was short.

 

* * *

 

  
"Nephew, I've given you everything I can think of, I don't know what you want!"

Maximus practically pulled his hair out at Daryn's incessant crying. Anything he used or tried in order to comfort the baby seemed futile and only served to further upset him. Daryn pushed him away, kicked at the bottle Maximus gave him, and crawled to the other side of the room as if searching for something.

Finally Maximus threw his hands in the air, shouting over the baby's screeching. "Fine! Wail yourself hoarse, since nothing pleases you. Despite everything I've given you, nothing makes you happy." Maximus turned to stomp away but stopped, his face blanched.

In the middle of his living room stood Black Bolt and Medusa.

He fell onto his backside and scrambled away, covering his face. Neither Black Bolt nor Medusa moved, instead they merely gazed at him. Maximus did not even hear the door open, nor the tell-tale sifting sound of Lockjaw teleporting in.

"No! He's mine now, Blackagar, you don't deserve him! I'm going to raise him-"

Maximus paused again when he noticed that Black Bolt's face did not change. In fact they did not move at all, prompting Maximus to slide his back upwards against the wall until he was standing. "They're not here, they're not real. Only ghosts, that's all they are, just ghosts." Maximus muttered to himself for a moment and continued to do so as he picked up Daryn and placed him in the laundry basket that served as the baby's bed. "I'll keep you safe, Nephew, keep you safe, yes that's what I need to do."

Despite Daryn's crying, Maximus hauled the basket into the bedroom and set it in the middle of the floor where he knew Daryn would be safe. These visions and hallucinations plagued him since his teenage years, always chasing him except for when the royal physician gave him a medication to stop them. They certainly stopped the hallucinations but at the expense of Maximus being unable to think, leaving him hazy and unfocused. Maximus only took the medication for a few months before he convinced himself that the hallucinations were gone and he could live without the daily pills.

Maximus also recognized that at times they made him violent, and he did not want to hurt his nephew. An hallucination convinced him to kill someone around the time of Ahura's birth, a drifter that Maximus considered a friend. So he left Daryn in the basket and shut the bedroom door, turning back to face the vision. Only to find it gone.

Maximus went to the middle of the living room, swiping at the air that Black Bolt and Medusa occupied. "They're gone, they weren't real, none of it was real." He took a deep breath and chuckled at himself, laughing at the absurdity of his behavior for a moment until he heard a knock on his front door.

Maximus straightened himself and looked through the peep-hole, sighing in relief at who was on the other side. His neighbors from across the hall stood on the other side of the door, waiting for someone to open it. He met them a few times coming or going, but he never cared to learn their names. They knew his by somewhat of an accident; Maximus brought home a woman he planned on defiling who said his name in the hallway as the other man headed out. Maximus certainly defiled her. Good thing he erased the moment from her mind.

Maximus yanked the door open, smoothing back his hair. "What? What do you want?"

The woman peered behind him while the man looked over Maximus in his disheveled state. "Everything okay, Max? We heard a baby crying and wanted to make sure it wasn't hurt or anything like that."

Maximus' mind raced as he tried to come up with an excuse as to why Daryn would be screaming. Before he could do so, the woman slipped past him and into the living room. Maximus stood flabbergasted in the doorway.

As the woman followed the sound of crying, the man took a single step inward. "My name is Norm, I don't think we ever actually met. And that's my wife, Verna. You haven't had a baby in here before..." the man named Norm trailed off, suggesting it was unusual for a baby to suddenly appear in the apartment.

After a brief pause, Maximus smoothed his face and tried to assume a charming smile. "No, no, I am minding him for my brother for a time. My brother is unfit to raise him."

Norm shook his head in understanding, his salt-and-pepper mustache pulling back into a grimace. "That's a shame, too many kids end up in foster homes and orphanages because their parents can't deal with them. Sounds like you're a bit in over your head though, but my wife's super-power might as well be understanding babies. I bet she figures out what's going on with him."

Just then Verna returned from the bedroom holding a very miffed and red-faced Daryn on her hip. "You did a good thing, Max; if you can't stand to hear a little one cry it's okay to leave them in their crib for a while and just walk away. Though I guess a hamper works too until you have a proper crib. We may still have one in storage if you need one. Our son outgrew it quickly enough and we never had the heart to toss it." Daryn lay his head on Verna's shoulder as she rocked him, swaying from side to side. "There, there, sweetie, it's okay."

Maximus watched her for a moment, studying her method for soothing Daryn. "Absolute sorcery."

Norm chuckled at him. "What'd I tell ya? She's a baby-whisperer."

"Oh, I missed this," Verna mused with Daryn back to gnawing on his fingers for comfort. She kissed the top of Daryn's head and pat his back. "Remember when Pope was this small? I used to rock him the exact same way. Actually, your nephew looks similar to our boy, now that he's calmed down. Right, sweetie? Everything is okay now."

Maximus reached up to Daryn's hands and stroked the baby's fingers, but Daryn pulled his hand away. "You had a boy? Where is he?"

"We, uh...we lost him," Norm whispered. "He'd probably be about 17 now, if he were still with us."

"My condolences." Maximus let the moment hang in the air, watching Daryn relax as Verna swayed. "He seems calm now."

Verna smiled at Maximus and nodded, closing her eyes with her cheek against Daryn's head. "I needed a baby-fix; thank you, Max. Does he have a bottle? I bet he's hungry. Being upset works up an appetite, doesn't it, little one?"

Maximus figured he could trust the two humans long enough to fix another bottle for Daryn. They stayed near the door as Maximus retreated into his kitchen for a moment to mix more of the powdered substance. If this were Old Attilan he would command one of the nursing mothers to give her milk to him rather than leave his nephew to drink a subpar powdered concoction. His attention on the bottle, Maximus tuned out the humans' chatter.

In the living room, Verna continued to pat Daryn's back but slowed her swaying. "You know, I forgot to ask Max his name. I guess we can ask when he gets back in here. I love this red hair; you know who this reminds me of, Norm?"

"No, who?"

"Medusa. Pope's birth-mother." Daryn's head popped up from Verna's shoulder as if the name reminded him of something. "Her hair was the same color as yours, sweetheart."

"Ma?" Daryn used Verna's shoulder to keep himself upright, his tiny nails scratching at her neck.

"Yes, she was our son's birth-mother. I wonder how she and Pope are doing-"

Verna paused mid-sentence, her eyes focused on a blank spot on the wall. Norm ducked his head to see what she stared at. "Honey? What is it?" Verna blinked again as if clearing a fog from her mind.

"Honey, I just saw Medusa in my mind, clear as day. And I think I saw Pope, but he's grown quite a bit. It happened after the baby touched my skin. I think...Norm, I think this is Medusa's baby."

 

* * *

 

  
The call to Black Bolt's cellphone came in the middle of the night, flashing like a strobe light in the dark of the bedroom. Neither he nor Medusa actually slept, instead they lay silently waiting for news with the lights off to help stave off an agonizing headache brewing behind Medusa's eyes. The constant stress and worry, combined with lack of proper rest or food, made Medusa nauseous.

Black Bolt sat up and looked at the caller-ID, handing the phone to Medusa when he saw it was from New Attilan. Medusa placed it against her ear and whispered into it as if she did not have the energy to answer properly. "Yes?"

Crystal's voice came through. "Medusa? We know where Daryn is."

 

* * *

 

  
Maximus was utterly furious. After three days of caring for Daryn's every waking moment, the little brat betrayed him.

Once the neighbors left, hurrying back to their apartment as if they forgot something important, Daryn sat near the door hoping they would return. Maximus called for the baby to move away from the door, eventually picking up the baby himself and moving him back into the living room. As soon as Maximus tried to tug Daryn's slobbery hands from his mouth, Maximus froze, his vision clouding. Through the haze he could make out the figures of Norm and Verna, silent and unmoving just like Black Bolt and Medusa a few minutes prior. Maximus then understood: the hallucinations weren't a product of his own madness, _Daryn could project his wishes onto others_. He wasn't powerless at all, he just never needed to use his power since all of his needs and wants were met at home.

Maximus scoffed at the baby as he lay on the floor with a new bottle in hand. "Unbelievable, Little Nephew. Absolutely unbelievable." He looked away as if the baby personally offended him.

He let Daryn tire himself out on the floor, picking him up only when the baby was sound asleep and setting him in the laundry basket in his room. Maximus would need to buy a crib, or convince his neighbors to give him theirs, as Daryn would outgrow the basket quickly. Even though Maximus was hurt and furious, he still intended to ensure his nephew was not harmed. The irritation Maximus felt would dissipate soon enough, but for now he felt he deserved the right to stew.

With the baby asleep in the basket, Maximus stood at one of his windows and looked to the humans milling about below. All beneath him, useless and petty. Their miserable lives meant nothing to him. He heard a human say once that New York never slept, and that was only partly true. Humans slept, it was the vermin and lowest of the humans that came out at night. Maximus watched one drag a shopping cart down the street, loaded with filthy clothes and blankets, stopping others to ask for change. The creature disgusted him. Even the lowest of Inhumans was properly clothed in Attilan.

If he were ruler, as he should've been, there would be no caste system in Attilan. All Inhumans would be equal, though for a time he considered forcing the elite into the mines so they could taste servitude. But no, his idiotic brother and whore sister-in-law ruined Attilan. Millennia of tradition decimated in only a few decades.

Maximus grumbled to himself, kicking at an empty bottle Daryn left on the floor. His nephew managed to wreck the apartment in only a few short hours, and Maximus needed to straighten up the place if he wanted to even consider inviting a woman to his apartment. Or forcing her, whichever worked.

But as he turned to begin collecting the mess of toys the baby scattered, his front door exploded. Maximus ducked behind the couch and readied himself for an attack if one came, but nothing happened until he peered over the back to see the commotion.

He didn't have time to react as a red tendril snaked around his throat and slammed him into the floor. _"Where is he?!"_ Even though Maximus could not see her, he recognized the sound of Medusa's voice.

Maximus gasped and struggled, feeling his face grow hot. The hair wrapped around his neck tightened as he struggled, feeling more like steel than actual hair. He flailed about, trying to at least put Medusa in his line of sight, until she dragged him by the neck and slammed him against the wall. Spots collected at the edge of his vision. "Where is my son, Maximus?"

Even if he wanted to answer, Maximus couldn't draw a breath to do so. He clawed and scrambled at the lock of hair holding him against the wall, choking and wheezing. "If my son is not in this apartment, Maximus, I swear on Randac's name I will snap your neck and throw you into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean." She could easily just decapitate him now, but Medusa wanted Maximus to suffer.

Maximus turned purple as Medusa tightened her hair around his neck, completely shutting off his airway. His struggling became weaker and weaker until his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped over, unmoving. Medusa unwrapped her hair from around his throat and allowed Maximus to drop to the floor.

Medusa turned about to search for her husband, finding him as he exited a back room. In his arms he held a whimpering Daryn.

She ran to meet her husband and son, Black Bolt turning the baby around so he could see his mother. Daryn immediately lunged for her. Medusa's eyes filled with tears as she gathered him tightly to her chest, careful not to hurt him but also unwilling to let him go in that moment. She knelt with him still in her arms, crying into the baby's shoulder from relief and rocking forward and back with him. Black Bolt knelt as well, one hand on Daryn's back and the other around Medusa's shoulder. When Medusa sniffled and finally looked up, she held Daryn outward so she could see his face and check to ensure he was unharmed.

Black Bolt momentarily left them and went to Maximus, still laid out on the floor. He was still breathing, barely, and color returned to his face. Black Bolt could kill Maximus right now and be done with him; Maximus would never again try to upend Black Bolt's life. But he wanted to know what led Maximus to kidnapping Daryn. He still might kill his younger brother, but that would be for the lawmakers of New Attilan to decide.

Black Bolt mentally called for Lockjaw. Once the dog appeared, Daryn reached his hand towards the huge dog. "La-la?"

Medusa, still too choked up to speak, nearly burst into tears again at hearing her son's chatter. She spent the past three days worrying that she'd never hear him again. Black Bolt placed his hand on Lockjaw's head behind his ear and told him telepathically to bring Vinatos. The dog's stump of a tail wriggled as he teleported away. In that time, Maximus stirred but a resounding kick to the face from Black Bolt's boot sent him under immediately.

When Vinatos appeared, Black Bolt pointed to the baby first, then to Maximus. Medusa cleared her throat to speak for her husband, though she still sounded raspy. "Black Bolt asks that you check the baby first, then ensure Maximus remains unconscious for now as we return to New Attilan."

Vinatos bowed slightly. "Of course, my Lady. Hello again, young one; have you been on an adventure? My goodness, you've had the entire kingdom worried for three days." Vinatos talked at Daryn as if they were having an entire conversation while he looked over the baby, though Daryn merely stared back at him. "He is unharmed, my Lady." The bug-like Inhuman smiled and leaned closer to Daryn. "The little prince is a brave boy."

Black Bolt tapped Vinatos on his shoulder and pointed to Maximus. "Ah yes, our trouble-making friend. I can sedate him until we are in the infirmary. There I can chemically paralyze him as the judges of New Attilan deliberate his sentence. Sterilon can also nullify his powers so he could not use them to convince someone to release him."

Medusa immediately ordered Vinatos to do so without delay. Black Bolt sent Gorgon with Vinatos and Maximus as Lockjaw returned them all to the infirmary, leaving Medusa, Black Bolt, and Daryn alone for a moment. Black Bolt wrapped his long arms around his wife and son.

"I feared I would never see him again," Medusa whispered, the sound muffled by the cloth of Black Bolt's suit. He nodded, stroking Medusa's temple to soothe her.

_Ahura thinks you hate him, by the way._

Medusa closed her eyes and willed away the tears that formed. "I hurt him immensely, didn't I? What sort of mother am I, Blackagar? One child goes missing and I respond by insulting the other."

Black Bolt pulled away from Medusa so she would look into his eyes. _He does not blame you, Medusa. Ahura is more insightful than we give him credit sometimes, and he understands that what you said came from fear. Just talk to him, he will forgive you._

Medusa nodded, standing on her toes to kiss her husband. As she pulled away, she heard shuffling from the front door. Norm and Verna stepped into the room, smiling widely. Verna spoke first. "I knew it, his hair is the exact same color as yours." Medusa practically flew across the living room to wrap Verna in a tight hug, her hair pulling Norm into the embrace as well.

They looked older than Medusa remembered, but she also realized that even though the Adams were about the same age as she and Black Bolt, they were also humans and aged as humans do. "You saved my son once again, Verna."

Verna pat her back, whispering assurances that she'd do so over and over again without question. When Medusa finally let go, Verna held Medusa at arm's length so she could see the changes brought on by nearly a decade.

"He's a smart little one," Verna said, rubbing Daryn's back. "As soon as Max was in the other room he showed me an image of you two and Pope."

Black Bolt and Medusa knew they referred to Ahura, Pope being the name they used when they found Ahura wandering alone and emaciated on Pope Street. Ahura had next to no language at the time and did not remember his own name. Medusa look at Daryn briefly. "Showed you? What to you mean?"

Norm wrapped his arm around Verna's shoulders. "I guess--oh, what's the word? Telepathically? Like, he made us mentally see you, as if he was showing us a picture."

They knew the Boltagons were Inhumans, and knew that they had various gifts, so the idea that even an infant could be telepathic did not surprise them. After meeting Medusa and learning about Inhumans, they were rarely surprised anymore. Daryn remained clinging to mommy's neck while the adults talked, though he certainly trusted the Adams more than Maximus.

Verna squeezed Norm's hand dangling from her shoulder. "How's our boy?" The way she said 'our' implied that Ahura belonged to all four of them, which if Medusa were honest with herself, Ahura spent about as much time with the Adams as he did with the Boltagons. It was lighthearted and did not suggest she blamed Medusa for taking her son back.

Black Bolt held his hand up to around his collar bone to show Ahura's height. He would be taller than Verna now, based on the placement of Black Bolt's hand. Norm grinned widely and held his hand around his waist. "He was about this high last we saw of him." Ahura was actually quite small until he hit his teenage years, then he practically grew overnight.

Medusa did not have any photos of her children with her, so she thought of the next logical thing. "Would you like to see him again? He is at home with his grandfather and his sister."

The Adams looked to each other for confirmation, as if either would actually say no. They nodded with enthusiasm. "Of course we would, we've missed our Pope. And how old is his sister?"

Medusa held Daryn's hand, rocking her sleepy boy the same way Verna did a few hours ago. "Just a few minutes older than this one. They're twins."

Norm whistled. "You got your hands full, don't you?" Medusa smiled for the first time in days.

"They keep us busy, yes. Right now I just want to get Daryn home. I'm never letting him out of my sight again."

"That's his name? Max didn't tell us, just kept calling him Nephew. Where is Max, by the way?"

Black Bolt pointed in the direction of New Attilan while Medusa spoke for him. _New Attilan, where he will undergo a trial for his crimes._

The Adams nodded with resolution, Norm frowning somewhat. "No offense, Mister Black-a-guy, but your brother is kind of strange."

Black Bolt grinned and nodded, mostly at the way Norm butchered his name. Medusa leaned into her husband, suddenly exhausted from being awake for so long. " _Blackagar_ is his name. We do need to be going home, though. Have you ever experienced teleportation via giant bulldog before?"

 

* * *

 

  
Back in the Boltagon apartment, Agon stood as soon as he heard the key unlock the main door. Anora finally went back to sleep only a few moments ago, so he was ready to scold whoever made such noise as they entered. The baby girl fought him every step of the way, so he did not look forward to a second round of arguing with his granddaughter.

As soon as Black Bolt entered, Agon rushed to him, his heart thudding against his chest. Medusa followed behind him, Daryn snoozing on her shoulder. Agon had to sit down from the sheer relief of seeing his grandson alive and unharmed after days of constant worry. "Thank Randac," he sighed, rubbing his temples. More individuals followed behind Medusa, and he stood once again when he saw them.

"This is Norm and Verna Adams," Medusa explained. "They made the call that led us to Daryn. And they are Ahura's Earth-parents."

Agon furrowed his eyebrows. " _Earth-parents?_ Forgive me, but I do not understand."

Norm held out his hand to shake Agon's, a human custom Agon was yet to learn. "He lived with us for a while, it's kind of a long story." When Agon understood that he was also supposed to hold his hand out, he relaxed a bit and properly shook Norm's hand.

"Well, the boy is in his room. I'm unsure if he sleeps or lies awake. When I checked last he was still awake."

Black Bolt gestured toward the sofa and invited the Adams to sit, indicating that he would wake Ahura if needed. Medusa stood in front of the bedroom door so Daryn would be the first Ahura saw upon exiting. Black Bolt disappeared into Ahura's room after flicking the light switch, then came back out moments later pinching his shirt to say that Ahura needed to dress himself first. Verna held Norm's hand tightly with anticipation at seeing their foster-son for the first time in years.

As soon as the door opened, Verna's breath caught in her throat. The little wild-haired boy she found on the side of the road covered in dirt and filth was now a wild-haired young man, tall and strong like his father. Ahura yawned deeply, rubbing his face to help himself wake up. Medusa smiled at her oldest son and watched his face as he realized his baby brother was home and safe. "Day-een!"

Daryn startled but did not fully wake. Ahura reached for his brother and hoisted him up to his shoulder while Medusa hugged them both, hoping Ahura would forgive her for hurting him so. She kissed the side of her son's head and let him whimper into her shoulder for a moment before she pulled away and held his face up by his chin. " _I'm so sorry, my love. I hurt you, and you did not deserve it. Please forgive me-_ "

Ahura nodded before Medusa could even finish. He gently squeezed his little brother once again, just to be sure he wasn't dreaming, until Black Bolt plucked Daryn from Ahura's shoulder. Medusa waved for his attention. " _I have a surprise for you._ "

As she stepped away, Norm and Verna stood up, Verna dabbing at her eyes. Ahura stood frozen until Black Bolt nudged him forward, whereupon he quickly crossed the room and hugged them both. Since neither Norm nor Verna needed to sign for nearly a decade, they were very rusty with their hands. " _You've grown so much, Pope, let me look at you._ "

Ahura had not seen his Earth namesign in years, the p-handshape making a small cross on Verna's left shoulder. His namesign for Ahura looked bland in comparison, merely a quick AB for Ahura Boltagon. Verna had to look up to see Ahura's eyes; the last time they saw each other Verna had to bend on her knee to reach his height.

" _Why are you both here? It's like four in the morning!_ "

" _Well, we actually came to bring your brother home,_ " Verna informed him, her signs becoming clearer the more she used them. The automaticity would return in time. " _God spent years working to bring us together again, and here we are._ " Inhumans never had a formal religion, but Ahura knew about the human's God-figure. Whatever the case may be--be it God or fate or mere happenstance--Ahura was happy to see them. Verna ran her fingers through Ahura's hair. " _Still as wild as ever. Do you remember how many times we chased you around the apartment to catch you so we could cut that hair?_ "

Ahura laughed, his breathy grunt waking Daryn. The baby held his head up blinking sleepy eyes, looking around the room. He looked at Black Bolt and then to Medusa as if ensuring they were there. Back Bolt grabbed the stuffed Lockjaw toy he snagged before leaving Maximus' apartment and made it dance and kiss Daryn's cheek to amuse the baby. Daryn yawned and smiled a gummy grin at his father.

Medusa encouraged everyone to sit, laying Daryn across her lap so the baby could nurse and Medusa could free her hands. Inhumans differed from humans in that many humans found nursing mothers who did so publicly to be shameful, forcing them to cover their babies while they ate. Medusa found that absurd, as did most inhuman mothers, so nursing her babies in front of others did not bother her. Whenever she nursed them privately it was so she could bond with her baby free from distraction, not out of enforced modesty. Daryn and Anora preferred to eat thicker foods now, at any rate, probably because they could make a mess while doing so.

Ahura rattled off all the major events in his life since his time with the Adams, his excitement waking him fully. He even showed them a picture he took on his phone (after running back to his room to get it like a small child eager to show off a toy), one of him and Irelle together. He saw a human couple do so in the park while they were out walking together, so Ahura wanted to do the same. He thumbed through his photo album, turning beet red at a photo of Irelle kissing his cheek and trying to skip over the picture of them both kissing. That particular picture made Ahura laugh as he had to screw up his face to look at the phone at the same time to ensure it captured them both.

Other photos were of the babies or human oddities he saw on a date with Irelle, and one of his mother and father that he took secretly of them snuggled together on the couch. That was a few days after Vinatos figured out what made Daryn sick, so they were both exhausted. Ahura meant to poke fun at them for snoozing on the sofa, but the photo turned out rather sweet so he kept it and sent it to his father so Black Bolt had a copy. He had a few silly photos, like one of him trying to imitate Agon that he sent to Irelle on a day when Ahura still hated his grandfather. That seemed like eons ago, even though it was only a few weeks.

They went back and forth sharing stories long after Daryn finally slept. Medusa refused to set her baby boy in his crib, instead letting him sprawl out on a sofa cushion as she pat his back. Agon retired shortly after his introduction to Norm and Verna Adams, claiming to be too old to stay up all night and bidding everyone farewell. The sky lightened into dawn and Anora would wake soon, so Black Bolt left his family in the living room to begin making breakfast. Due to the excitement and drama of the past few days, they were running low on groceries so breakfast meant fruit and yogurt, a human food he grew to like even though his wife despised it. She hated the texture, but Black Bolt liked the tartness and different flavors. To annoy her he liked to dab some on his thumb and tap Medusa's nose with it. She usually whipped him with her hair when he did so, gently but with enough force to show she was displeased.

As if on some sort of internal timer, Anora woke the moment a sunbeam encroached on the nursery. She whined for someone to remove her from her tiny prison, reaching for Black Bolt the moment she saw her father. Two new people in the room concerned her so she kept a careful distance from them; since mommy and daddy seemed to be alright with their presence she could tolerate them. Verna cooed at her and made a few comments about how similar the twins looked despite being fraternal. She woke Daryn with a squeal, like she did most mornings, as if her brother was not missing for three days. To welcome Daryn home, she grabbed the top of his head and 'kissed' his scalp, which really meant she tried to bite him.

From the moment both twins were awake, the apartment was full of noise whether it was from the babies, Ahura's random vocal outbursts, or Medusa singing. Black Bolt savored every moment that morning, grateful that he could hear his children chatter at each other as they played on the floor or his oldest son puttering around to show Norm and Verna something. He was not envious of Norm and Verna or that Ahura called them his parents; if anything he was indebted to them for taking care of Ahura despite having no experience with Inhumans prior to finding him. Not only did they take in an Inhuman, they gave him a language. Black Bolt owed the connection he built with his son to Norm and Verna Adams.

Because they'd been awake all night, Black Bolt invited Norm and Verna to rest in one of the guest rooms along the same hallway that Agon essentially took over. For a moment Ahura panicked, fearing that Norm and Verna were leaving him entirely until Black Bolt explained they would only be downstairs. He made the decision to leave the bar closed for one more evening so they could rest and reset after the trauma of the past three days. Ahura helped get them situated, and after one last big hug the Adams turned in to sleep for a few hours.

Ahura stretched out on the couch and texted Irelle to tell her the news of Daryn's return, although she already knew since Frank and Crystal worked so closely together.

**im glad daryn is home and he is safe**

Ahura crossed his legs as he typed out his response. **me 2 i feel worry scared but now happy**

He paused to think about his next text. **yesterday thank u for stay here with me**

After a moment his phone buzzed again and Irelle's message made him blush. **of course i wouldn't leave u when ur world was turned upside down <3 **

Ahura tapped the side of his phone, debating whether or not he wanted to send the text he'd wanted to send for a few days, before all hell broke loose. Taking a deep breath, he typed out the text and sent it before he could talk himself out of it.

**i love u**


	17. Chapter 17

Black Bolt stared into the sedation tank that currently held his brother. In chemically induced slumber, Maximus looked... harmless. Peaceful. Black Bolt shook his head, brow creasing. What was he meant to _do_  with him? Yes, Maximus had stolen Daryn, terrifying both Medusa and Black Bolt himself, for days. Yet the baby boy had been unharmed, and had clearly been looked after. Sterilon's probing of Maximus' unconscious mind had found that Maximus only intended to give Daryn a 'better' life, as he had believed his younger nephew had no powers, and, it seemed, feared that Daryn would receive biased or indifferent treatment from his parents.

 _As Maximus himself did in childhood._  The recollection was harsh, making Black Bolt wince, but he couldn't deny the truth of it. So, fine, Maximus had _thought_  he was helping Daryn. Yet he had still _stolen a child_. That could not go unpunished.

Footsteps disturbed Black Bolt's thoughts- which was good, as they'd been going in circles for the past twenty minutes. He turned to see his father approaching, and braced himself for hearing another speech from Agon about how Maximus deserved execution. He'd heard at least three variants of it over the past day, since they'd brought Maximus here, their presence in New Attilan known only to Iso, Sterilon, and Vinatos. Medusa had not wanted to bring the babies here, near Maximus, nor had Black Bolt been able to convince her to leave them at home, despite repeated assurances they would be safe with Ahura, Flagman, Frank McGee and Reader nearby. Medusa simply refused to let the twins leave her sight, which meant Black Bolt had to come here and try and decide Maximus' punishment for this latest mischief alone. He didn't know what to do. One thing he knew for sure though- he would _not_  put his brother to death. No matter how much certain people argued that he deserved it.

Right on cue, Agon started talking again. "Don't tell me you're still trying to justify sparing him, Blackagar! Look at all he's done. It should be an easy decision; he's hurt thousands, wrecked Attilan, he's the reason for the Terrigen outbreak. And this time, he abducted your child. It's not like his usual behavior of destroying infrastructure. A kingdom can be rebuilt, but losing a child is one of the most difficult experiences ever felt, and you're lucky he didn't leave the human city entirely with Daryn or you'd never have seen him again!" Agon shook his head. "After this... after _everything_... how can you want him alive?"

Black Bolt clenched his teeth. Turning steely eyes to his father, he sent a thought directly into Agon's mind. ' _Maximus lives. I will NOT kill family.'_

Agon sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. "Fine. I see there's no reasoning with you on this matter. You always have been loyal to a fault. But you cannot intend to let him continue to roam free, after this?"

Black Bolt shook his head.

"So what _are_  you going to do?"

Shrug. Black Bolt still had no idea.

Agon frowned thoughtfully. "I noticed, as we made our way through here, that this place, 'New Attilan', is under expansion."

Black Bolt nodded warily. Agon's lips curved in a small smirk. "I'm sure they could use a laborer, especially one who is skilled in designing structures..."

Black Bolt tilted his head thoughtfully. If Maximus were detained in New Attilan, ordered to help with the expansion to fully accommodate the Nuhumans, it would keep him occupied for six months to a year, and if he were monitored carefully, he might not be able to cause trouble....

He met his father's eyes. _'His powers?'_ He sent, tentatively, his telepathic tone of 'voice' contemplative. _'He may well simply force them to let him go free.'_

Agon snorted. "Blackagar, I've been working with Inhumans for decades. I _do_  know how to build power-blocking inhibitors. Let Maximus do some work the hard way for once."

Black Bolt nodded slowly. It would solve a lot of problems. ' _On one condition, Father. Maximus will be placed on medication to treat his illness while carrying out his sentence. After such a long time medicated, we may see real improvement in his behaviors.'_

Agon nodded. "Maximus will need to remain here and sedated while we work out arrangements for this, though." He paused, looking at his elder son. "Have you spoken to Medusalith about this matter?" He assumed his daughter-in-law would have an opinion about this- she certainly did about everything else!

Black Bolt looked at the ground, shaking his head. Even if he could speak, he wasn't sure he wanted to tell his father that Medusa had hardly spoken to anyone over the last day, and had not let the twins leave her sight, even when they napped- she had stayed in their room, tensing any time someone approached the babies. There had been no chance to talk to her- she didn't seem to care for anything but her youngest children at present- even Ahura had not roused her from her near-obsession with protecting the twins. He _would_  tell her of Maximus' punishment, though, later- perhaps once he was gone from their lives for a time, no longer a danger to their family, she would start to relax a little.

Agon nodded. "It is probably best she is left out of this decision, while she is still distraught over nearly losing Daryn." He clapped Black Bolt on the shoulder. "Go now. Spend time with your family. I'll have the inhibitor for Maximus' powers built in a few hours, and we can then arrange for him to be medicated and sent to begin work."

Black Bolt nodded, and excused himself. But on his return to the Quiet Room, he found the bar well in hand, Flagman taking care of everything, leaving little for him to do, Ahura and Irelle deep in discussion in a corner of the restaurant, and upon going upstairs to the apartment, he found Medusa- unsurprisingly- watching the twins as they napped. He tried to draw her into conversation, but she was so focused on the babies that she lost track of the conversation each time one of them turned over. Black Bolt felt frustrated, and knew it would do no good to try and explain what he'd decided for Maximus right now- he'd end up explaining it all over again anyway! Feeling somewhat slighted that Medusa barely seemed to notice he was there, he excused himself before an argument broke out.

He exhaled through his nose as he made his way donwstairs, out of the bar, and back to New Attilan, to explain to Maximus what his sentence was. With the time it had taken to return home, and then return to New Attilan, he may as well have stayed there, for all the affect his presence at home had!

 _Just get this over with, see Maximus dealt with,_  he told himself, _Then you can start solving the problems at home_.

By the time he reached the sub-level where Maximus was being held, it became clear that his brother was awake- and arguing. He stopped in the doorway, unnoticed, as Agon clamped the neural inhibitor around Maximus' left wrist, while Iso, Sterilon and Vinatos stood as witnesses- or guards.

"This is complete overkill! I suppose I can see why Blackagar thinks I did wrong, but I only meant to help, it isn't my fault I made a mistake and Daryn has powers after all! I don't _need_  to be punished by working as a slave for the next year, and there is certainly no need for you to _mutilate_  me this way, taking my powers!" Maximus held his wrist out, eyes pleading. "Take this inhibitor off!"

"No." Agon's tone was steely. "Your brother has decided on this punishment for you, and it _will_  be abided by." He grabbed Maximus' other arm, pulling up the sleeve and attaching another device. Black Bolt recognized it as a medical device, designed to inject daily doses of medicine for those who could not or would not take medication willingly. It would last for a year.

Maximus stared at the injector cuff in horror. "What is _this_?"

Vinatos spoke up, calmly. "Just a small dose of something to help you remain calm, your highness. It will not always be possible to get medicine to you in tablet form while you are working on construction, since you will be moving a lot. This is the best way to ensure you do not run out of medicine."

"I don't need medicine!" Maximus tried to pull the injector cuff off, to no avail.

Agon rolled his eyes. "Yes, you do. And, again, this is what you have been _sentenced_  to, for kidnapping Daryn." His voice lowered, eyes narrowed. "And consider yourself lucky. If it had been my decision, your punishment would have been far harsher."

Maximus studied both devices. "I'll just take these _things_  off anyway!"

Agon snorted. "Good luck. They've been sized so you cannot slip out of them. And the metal is an unbreakable alloy."

Black Bolt also knew, because his father had told him, that both cuffs could only be unlocked with Agon's specific DNA- a son of his would not be able to remove them, no matter how much of a genius he was with inventions. But there was no need for Maximus to know that- it would only cause more ranting.

Maximus looked around pleadingly, finally spotting Black Bolt. "Brother... you can't really mean to make me do this.... drug me.... cripple me of my powers... make me do common laborer's work?"

Black Bolt stared Maximus down and nodded firmly.

Maximus was stunned with shock, silent for a moment, and Iso ordered Sterilon and Vinatos to escort Maximus to the construction site, to begin work. As they led him away, Maximus glaring at everyone, she also made sure that Maximus knew his whereabouts would be monitored at all times, and if he caused trouble, or tried to abandon his tasks, he would spend time in a cell, and _then_  be sent back to continue helping with the construction, thus extending his punishment.

Neither Black Bolt nor Agon protested- Maximus was a worker of New Attilan for the foreseeable future, and how he was dealt with was up to Iso, not them.

Maximus shot venomous glances their way as he was half-pulled from the room. Black Bolt stifled a sigh. He hoped this punishment had an effect on Maximus, or at least taught him something, and this didn't end up making Maximus more of a problem than he had been in the past.

But only time would tell that.


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning Black Bolt woke to an empty bed, the lack of warmth from the other side suggesting Medusa left some time ago. He found her asleep in the rocking chair in the nursery, her head laying on her arm. Daryn also lay in his crib with his feet pulled up to his face so he could chew on the end of his pajamas as his sister slept on. Black Bolt went to her first, quietly setting her up on his shoulder. Holding both babies at the same time was awkward if someone did not hand one to him, but Daryn made it somewhat easier by sitting up and holding up his arms. The twins needed a bath, and Medusa needed rest, so Black Bolt could bathe them both in the tub while Medusa continued to sleep.

Ahura woke and asked to use the bathroom and brush his teeth beforehand, helping his father get the babies awake, stripped, and ready for their bath. The twins hated bath time at first, and both screamed the entire time as if they were being tortured. Now they didn’t seem to mind as long as they had plenty of toys to distract them.

As the tub filled with a few inches of water, Ahura played with Anora’s hand, helping her to sign ‘bath.’ Black Bolt had to quell an old fear, that if they only signed around the babies they would never learn to speak properly. It was a fear that he worked hard to purge from himself, and he briefly chastised himself for even thinking it once again. It was a fear borne from habit and not how he truly felt. The babies were beginning to repeat sounds they heard and jabbered all the time, there was no doubt they would learn to speak. Anora was beginning to say ‘dadada’ in rapid succession but no one was sure if she was referring to Daryn or to Black Bolt. Daryn could say his own version of Lockjaw, and he called Black Bolt “Ba Ba” since that’s what everyone called his father. They would be using proper words soon enough.

With the babies seated safely in the tub, Black Bolt sat on the floor to let them play for a few moments in the water. Anora liked to kick her feet and splash water everywhere, while Daryn preferred to watch her and chew on the washcloth.

Ahura rested his backside against the sink and waved for Black Bolt’s attention. _”Can I go see Irelle later today? I want to give her something. And Frank will be there, you can ask him.”_

Black Bolt grinned internally. Ahura was still so eager to be trusted by his parents that he told them every time he saw Irelle outside the Quiet Room, even though Black Bolt and Medusa had since stopped checking in with Frank. The teens were unaware of that, though. Frank still made Ahura nervous.

“ _If you want. Tonight I’m working the bar so I ask that you return home before then to help your mother.”_

Ahura nodded, yawning into the back of his hand. The sun was not fully up yet, though the dawn was light purple and promised to be a cool day. Summer approached, but they were in a strange season of bitter cold mornings that turned into sweltering afternoons so they were unsure how to dress for the day. Ahura found it annoying, though more than once he was pleased to offer Irelle his jacket. It was far too long for her in the arms, and Ahura found that his heart fluttered when she wore it. He thought about giving it to her entirely.

Ever since he told her that he loved her, they’d been increasingly affectionate but not in a lewd way. They no longer worried about holding hands in front of Frank or sharing brief kisses when saying goodbye. Frank, Irelle, and Treste visited the day following Daryn’s return home and the adults trusted them enough that Ahura and Irelle spent much of the time together in his room with the door shut. Ahura showed her his pictures of Norm and Verna, telling her the story of his time on Earth with them and how he learned to communicate, and why they were still important to him. He wanted her to meet Norm and Verna but they left before Irelle arrived.

_”Did mom sleep in the nursery again?”_

Black Bolt nodded, running one hand in the water to ensure it was still warm. “ _She was in bed with me last night; I’m unsure when she left for the nursery._ ”

“ _Does she know you sentenced Uncle Max without her?_ ”

“ _How did you know that?_ ”

“ _Grandfather. And Aunt Crystal._ ”

Black Bolt rubbed his temples for a moment. “ _No, I have been unable to have a free moment with her since we brought your brother home. She refuses to leave the babies or allow anyone else to take them, even Agon. This is the furthest she’s been from either of them in days. They are her only focus._ ”

Black Bolt sat up and readied a bowl to begin washing the twins’ hair. Currently Daryn still had more hair than his sister, but Black Bolt suspected around their first birthday Anora’s hair would begin sprouting. Both Ahura and Daryn had a lot of hair at birth but it slowed in its growth as they aged, so most likely Anora’s was the opposite. Both babies hated this part of bath time, having water poured on their heads, but the faces they made always made Black Bolt laugh. He clicked his tongue at Anora before she could get upset when the water doused her. He scrubbed her head gently, then the rest of her tiny body before a quick rinse. With two messy babies he had plenty of practice to find a system for bath time that got them in and out relatively quickly.

Ahura sat on the toilet seat with a towel and wrapped his sister into a warm bundle to dry her. His shirt would be soaked, but it was one he slept in so no worries there. As Black Bolt scrubbed Daryn’s head, Ahura reached over and tugged his soapy hair into a tiny spike. _”Look, Nora, look at D. Is that funny? See his funny hair?”_

Anora grinned, showing off her lone tooth. Daryn grinned back and tried reaching for the top of his head to feel for the spike but his arms were not long enough to do so. After a quick rinse, Black Bolt pulled the plug on the drain so the tub would empty. Since his sister was out of the bath Daryn flapped his hands rhythmically in the closest approximation of a sign he could do that anyone could recognize, the manual version of ‘all done!’

With both babies wrapped and drying, they stayed in the bathroom to continue planning the day. Keeping the door closed would also ensure the steam from the bath water would not escape, keeping the babies toasty warm as they dried. Someone gave them towels with little animal hoods, a green frog for Daryn and a yellow butterfly for Anora, but whenever they used those specific towels the babies tugged each other’s hoods off. They were still too young to care about which towel belonged to who anyway.

_”Does Daryn really have powers? Aunt Crystal said Uncle Max was mad about that.”_

Black Bolt nodded. _”He does. I’ve been unable to think of a way to test them, though. Or even accurately describe them, for that matter. The geneticists in New Attilan said that he is able to project his wants to others.”_

_”Like mind control?”_

_”I don’t believe so, no. At least there’s no control aspect of it. More like an intrusion, really.”_

Ahura bounced his knee when Anora squirmed in his lap. _”Maybe Grandfather knows how to test him.”_

 _”Maybe,_ ” Black Bolt shrugged. He meant to say more but paused when he heard a series of rapid thumps from the other side of the apartment representing Medusa’s panicked footsteps. He motioned for Ahura to open the bathroom door.

“Black Bolt? Where are my babies? Answer me,” she called into the apartment. The fear in her voice broke Black Bolt’s heart as he listened to his wife dash through each room looking for them. She finally burst into the bathroom, sighing loudly in relief and kissing Anora’s damp temple. “There you are. Don’t scare me like that again.”

Black Bolt stood to his full height again. _We just wanted to let you sleep._

“I don’t want them too far away from me, though.”

Ahura scowled at both his parents, waving for their attention. _”If you won’t sign, at least look at me when you talk._

 _”I’m sorry, my love. I said I don’t want the babies far away from me._ ”

He snorted through his nose at her. _”We were like 40 feet away, not on the moon.”_

Black Bolt glared at his son and motioned for him to stop. “ _Be kind, son. Don’t antagonize your mother._ ” Ahura quickly apologized and resumed keeping Anora entertained by growling into her ear. He didn’t actually know what a growl sounded like, but he felt Lockjaw growl a few times so he knew the mechanism involved. To outsiders it would sound like he was merely humming into the baby’s ear.

With Ahura no longer paying attention to their conversation, Black Bolt returned to using his telepathic link. _He does have a point though, Medusa. They can’t be in your sight all hours of the day, you need rest._

“I can rest when they do-“

_Sleeping upright in their rocking chair is not proper rest._

“Then we can move them back into our room.”

_Medusa, be reasonable. They’d never sleep if they were in our room; we are in and out of it so much it’d wake them up often. And you and I would never have alone time. We have little enough as it is._

She gently combed Daryn’s hair with her fingernails, parting half of it to the side. “I will not be chastised for worrying about my children.”

Black Bolt held his hand up and waved for Ahura’s attention once again. “ _Take both of them and get them dressed, please. Long sleeves and socks since it’s chilly right now._ ” Ahura nodded and held one twin on each hip, playfully bouncing as he headed toward the nursery. Medusa inhaled quickly when her babies were out of the room, though when she saw Black Bolt’s expression she became annoyed. He looked at her as if she just proved his point.

_Medusa, I know what you experienced was one of the worst few days of your life. I will never criticize you or blame you for fearing for their safety. But you know that none of us would do anything to put them in harm’s way._

She crossed her arms as of hugging herself. “Ahura merely fell asleep and Maximus kidnapped Daryn. I know it was not Ahura’s fault but I can’t help but worry what else can happen when his back is turned, or if one of them wanders toward the street and Agon is too slow to grab them.”

_How rational is that, Medusa?_

“Maximus kidnapping Daryn was not _rational_ , Blackagar!”

Black Bolt held his hands up as if asking her to slow down. _Maximus has been sentenced to a year as a laborer, you need not worry about him._

Where Medusa’s face registered annoyance, her look quickly changed to aggravation. “You sentenced him without consulting me? And you let him _live_?” When Black Bolt did not respond quickly enough, Medusa turned away from him and somewhat stomped out into the living room. The nursery door was closed to keep the babies from escaping while Ahura dressed them, but she could hear Ahura laughing at one of the twins as the other squealed at their big brother. Medusa still did not approve of being unable to see her babies. “I thought we were past this, Blackagar. I thought you had changed.”

Black Bolt gave her a moment to vent before stepping in. _You have not been entirely available the past few days; how can I consult you when your entire focus is on the twins? Even while they sleep!_

“I meant the lack of communication,” Medusa shot back. “If you recall, that was one of the reasons we separated. You made decisions in the dark without consulting me or even letting me know your plan. And I refuse to be bullied for caring for my children.”

In the nursery, one of the twins let out a frustrated whine followed by a grunt from Ahura to soothe whichever twin was frustrated. Medusa moved toward the door but was stopped by Black Bolt’s hand. _Medusa, please. You know what that cry means, it’s one of their ‘pay attention to me’ whines. Neither are hurt or really upset._ He squeezed her hand gently. _They can’t grow if you don’t let them._

Medusa looked at her husband’s hand, then to his pleading face. She _knew_ that she was being absurd and over protective, but the fear that something else would happen to one of her children made her reconsider every step she took. “I nearly lost two of my three children at various points, Blackagar. What sort of mother am I?”

Black Bolt pulled his wife into a tight embrace, resting his cheek against the top of her head as he considered what to say. _I can’t imagine them belonging to anyone else. Where else would they get that hair?_

Medusa snickered into his shoulder, sniffling. “Well, don’t blame me for Ahura’s; that mess comes from you.”

 _Fair enough,_ grinned Black Bolt. _Listen, what happened to Ahura growing up was not your fault. Plenty of the blame rests on my shoulders, but I take some responsibility for what the Council did to him. What I allowed them to do. And yet he is becoming a fine young man, after all that happened. If anyone else were his mother, he would never have thrived. ‘What kind of mother are you?’ One who doesn’t give up on her children._

_And as for what happened to Daryn, you never gave up on finding him. Not for a moment. He’s home and he’s safe, completely unharmed. But he’s also going to fall down and scrape his knees, get into fights with his sister, and say embarrassing things or draw on the walls. He has to make mistakes, Medusa, it’s how he will learn. Watching his every movement will only hinder him. Do you understand my meaning?_

Medusa nodded, dabbing at her eye with her sleeve. The fear that something catastrophic could happen to her son, to any of her children, still plagued her but she could promise her husband that she would relax somewhat. “I’ll try to give them some space. Be patient with me.”

They stood together for another moment and listened to the babies chatter in the nursery. Six months ago, almost to day, they were brought into the world, completely upending the Boltagon family and its routine but neither Black Bolt nor Medusa would have them any other way. The babies showed personality from day one, but now they were growing into individuals: Anora was fearless and defiant but also bold, whereas Daryn was cautious and shy but also had devious moments. Anora knew how to get what she wanted from her father and brother, there was no denying they spoiled her. Daryn, on the other hand, was content with being held and cuddled close. Unless Anora had something that he didn’t, Daryn wanted for very little.

They stepped apart, but Black Bolt did not immediately let go. He looked directly into Medusa’s eyes to be sure his meaning was clear. _I love you._

“I love you, too.” Medusa relaxed her braid and let her hair fan out behind her, the loosest it’d been in days. She decided then that a few hours rest in bed would do her well, so long as the babies stayed in the apartment. That seemed to be a reasonable compromise, and she was sure Agon wouldn’t mind helping get the babies fed breakfast and occupied until their nap time.

They both head for the nursery to let Ahura know the plan, that he was on babysitting duty for a little while until Agon came upstairs. Medusa wanted her son to know that she still trusted him, and was willing to forego her anxiety to do so. She could hear Anora in the nursery squeaking at her big brother over the sound of a musical toy. As the door opened, both twins looked in their direction prompting Ahura to turn around.

_“Look, D, who is that? Tell daddy who is that.”_

Daryn smiled a huge grin at both his parents. “Mama.”


End file.
